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New Rules

Minions

Minions are creatures made to be run in large numbers. They require little bookkeeping or dice rolling and die easily, but can still pose a significant threat to adventuring parties. They are meant to be used at levels where killing a creature of that type with a single blow feels appropriate to the narrative context. These rules are based on those in MCDM's Flee, Mortals!, which you can find in greater detail here.

Minion Trait. A creature with the minion trait drops to 0 hit points if it takes any damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw. If a minion takes damage from any other source, it is killed if the damage exceeds its maximum hit points, and takes no damage otherwise.

Minion Initiative. Minions of the same type take their turns together on a shared initiative.

Group Attacks. Up to five minions that share a turn may each contribute their actions to a Group Attack against the same target, making a single attack roll and adding +1 for each minion contributing to the attack beyond the first. On a hit, the group attack's damage is multiplied by the number of attackers contributing to it.

Advantage and Disadvantage. A group attack has advantage only if each of the minions contributing to it have advantage, and disadvantage only if each of them have disadvantage.

Triggering Responses. If a group attack triggers a reaction or other response that would ordinarily affect a single attacker, the effect targets a single minion who contributed to the attack.

Damage. Minion attacks deal flat damage, rather than rolling, and deal no additional damage on a critical hit.

Overkill Attacks. Powerful attacks can sometimes kill more than one minion with a single blow. A melee attack that deals more damage than a minion target's maximum hit points may apply the damage in excess of that minion's hit points to another minion with the same stat block within the attack's reach. If this damage is still in excess of the second minion's maximum hit points, the attacker may apply the remaining damage to another, and so on.

Ranged attacks work the same, except that each additional target must be behind the previous target in a line extending from the attacker.

Challenge Ratings and XP. Several minions are meant to count as a single regular enemy of the same nominal CR for the purposes of balancing combat; five minions equate to a regular enemy at lower levels, increasing according to the included table.

Minion CR	XP	Hit Points	Damage	Minions Per Standard
1/2	20	≤7	1	5
1	40	8	1	5
2	90	9	2	5
3	140	10	3	5
4	220	11	4	5
5	225	12	4	8
6	285	13	4	8
7	360	14	4	8
8	485	15	5	8
9	500	16	5	10
10	590	17	5	10
11	720	18	6	10
12	840	19	6	10
13	1,000	20	7	10
14	1,150	21	7	10
15	1,300	22	8	10
16	1,500	23	8	10
17	1,800	24	9	10
18	2,000	25	9	10
19	2,200	26	10	10
20	2,500	27	10	10
21	3,300	28	11	10
22	4,100	29	11	10
23	5,000	30	12	10
24	6,200	31	12	10
25	7,500	32	13	10
26	9,000	33	13	10
27	10,500	34	14	10
28	12,000	35	14	10
29	13,500	36	15	10
30	15,500	37	15	10

Swarms

Swarms are large groups of densely crowded creatures that behave as a single entity in combat.

Swarm Movement. Swarms can move through and occupy the spaces of other creatures without impediment, and can move through any space small enough for a single member of the swarm without squeezing.

Swarm Attacks. Attacks of swarms usually target only creatures in the swarm's space, and degrade as the swarm loses hit points, representing fewer members of the swarm remaining to make the attack.

Damage Resistances. Swarms resist damage from attacks of all kinds, representing the greater effectiveness of effects that target an area against groups, as opposed to those that target an individual member of the group.

Forced Movement and Swarms. Swarms can be pushed, pulled, or otherwise forced to move by any mundane effect that could affect a member of that swarm, or by any magical effect that could affect more than one member of that swarm.

Giants and Resistance to Attacks Made Without Advantage

Creatures that are size Huge or larger often have resistance or even immunity to attacks made without advantage, representing the difficulty that human-scale creatures have in striking their vital points without concerted effort and teamwork to create openings to do so.

Climbing on Creatures. A creature may spend half its movement to attempt to climb onto any creature within 5 feet that is at least two size categories larger than it, making a Strength (Athletics) check and becoming Attached to the target on a success. If not otherwise specified, the DC for this check is equal to the target's Passive Athletics. Additionally, any effect which would ordinarily grapple a creature can be used to climb onto a creature.

Gaining Advantage. It is expected that players will find ways to gain advantage against creatures with these damage resistances, rather than simply having all of their attacks resisted. Often their stat blocks will specify one or more ways to gain advantage against them, but DMs and players are encouraged to improvise more. When using these enemies, it is recommended that DMs be generous when granting advantage, particularly for player actions that use the environment or rely on teamwork.

Attacks from Inside. Attacks made from inside a creature typically bypass this damage resistance or immunity.

Battles Between Giants. At DM discretion, creatures that are within one size category of the target they are attacking (typically other monsters or magically enlarged PCs) may ignore this damage resistance or immunity, as it is meant to represent interactions with ordinary PC-sized creatures.

Conditions

Conditions alter a creature’s capabilities in a variety of ways and can arise as a result of a spell, a class feature, a monster’s attack, or other effect. Most conditions, such as Blinded, are impairments, but a few, such as Invisible, can be advantageous.

A condition lasts either until it is countered (the prone condition is countered by standing up, for example) or for a duration specified by the effect that imposed the condition. Unless otherwise specified, all conditions on a creature end on a creature when it dies.

If multiple effects impose the same condition on a creature, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse. A creature either has a condition or doesn’t.

If a condition allows successive saving throws to end the effect, it is marked Save Ends, the details of which are at the end of this section.

The following definitions specify what happens to a creature while it is subjected to a condition.

Design Note. There are a lot of rules here, but as a DM you don't need to memorize them to use them effectively. Most of this section is intended as a quick reference for you to refer to when an edge case arises in the course of play.

There are a number of new conditions presented here, which are meant to be intuitable by those fluent in 5e, but are presented in detail with clarifications for your reference.

There have also been minor changes made to existing conditions to resolve unintuitive outcomes in edge cases, most notably with the Invisible condition.

Players will benefit from familiarity with the ways to end conditions, which are largely drawn from Rules as Written and simply gathered together for easy reference here.

You can find these rules as a standolone document here if that's more convenient for use at your table.

Attached

A creature that is Attached to an object or another creature is moved with that object or creature whenever it moves. Any effect that could be used to Grapple a creature can be used to Attach to a creature too large for the Grappler to grapple.

Ending the Attached Condition. Any effect that ends the Grappled condition can also end the Attached condition. The DC to remove an Attached creature is noted as its Remove DC.

Releasing an Attachment. A creature that imposes the Attached condition may end that condition as a Bonus Action.

Bleeding

A Bleeding creature loses the specified amount of hit points at the beginning of each of its turns, i.e a creature that is "Bleeding (1d4)" loses 1d4 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns.

Hit Point Loss. Hit point loss represents loss of vital fluids, and is distinct from damage. Unless otherwise specified, it can't be resisted or reduced in any way. It has no effect on creatures with 0 hit points.

Creatures Without Blood. Creatures that do not have blood or some equivalent vital fluid are immune to any effect that directly causes Hit Point Loss.

Separate Sources of Wounds. If a creature that is already Bleeding would suffer a wound from a different source, the wound with the higher Hit Point Loss value overrides that with the lesser value.

Stacking Bleed. Rarely, some effects may cause a creature to accrue multiple instances of the Bleeding condition, and will specify if this is the case. Stacking wounds of the same value count as a single instance of the Bleeding condition with a Hit Point Loss value equal to their total cumulative Hit Point Loss value.

Ending the Bleeding Condition. The Bleeding condition ends for a creature that regains any hit points.

Additionally, as an action, a creature may attempt a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check to stanch the wounds of a Bleeding creature, ending the effect on a success.

Blinded

A Blinded creature can’t see and automatically fails any ability check that requires sight. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.

Ending the Blinded Condition. Spells such as Lesser Restoration, Greater Restoration, and Mass Heal can end the Blinded condition on a creature.

Variant: Persistent Blindness. At DM discretion, magic of a higher level, such as the Regenerate spell, may be required to heal Blindness that is caused by permanently damaged or destroyed eyes.

Burning

A Burning creature is on fire, and takes the specified amount of fire damage at the beginning of each of its turns, i.e. "Burning (1d10).

Separate Sources of Burning. If a creature that is already Burning would gain the Burning condition from another source, the condition with the higher Burning value overrides that with the lesser value.

Ending the Burning Condition. The creature or a creature that can reach it may smother the flames as an action, ending the Burning condition for that creature. A Burning creature that is doused in water, that takes any cold damage, or that is in an airless environment, such as a bag of holding, has the condition immediately end for it.

Charmed

A Charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects, and generally treats the charmer as an allied creature. The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the Charmed creature.

Ending the Charmed Condition. Spells such as Greater Restoration, Dispel Good and Evil, and Power Word: Heal can end the Charmed condition on a creature. Charmed creatures often, though not always, make a saving throw to end the condition whenever they take damage.

Choking

A Choking creature can't breathe. When a Choking creature runs out of breath, or if becomes is unable to hold its breath, it begins Suffocating.

Holding Breath. A creature that is not Unconscious can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). Unless otherwise specified, a creature that begins Choking is assumed to reflexively hold its breath.

Speaking and Casting Spells With Verbal Components. A creature that speaks or casts a spell while holding its breath loses its held breath and immediately begins Suffocating.

Ending the Choking Condition. The Choking condition is often imposed by another ongoing effect, such as the Grappled or Poisoned conditions, or by an environmental effect, such as being submerged in water. In these instances, the Choking condition persists until the effect causing it ends. When a creature suffers the Choking condition without an ongoing effect imposing it, spells such as Lesser Restoration, Greater Restoration, or Power Word: Heal, and class features such as the Paladin's Lay On Hands ability can end the Choking condition on a creature.

Confused

A confused creature acts in an uncontrolled manner. It is unable to take reactions, and must roll a d10 at the start of each of its turns to determine its behavior for that turn.

Confused Behavior

#	Confused Behavior
1	The creature uses all its movement to move in a random direction. To determine the direction, roll a d8 and assign a direction to each die face. The creature doesn’t take an action this turn.
2-6	The creature doesn't move or take actions this turn.
7-8	The creature uses its action to make a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach. If there is no creature within its reach, the creature does nothing this turn.
9-10	The creature can act and move normally.

Variant: Chaotic Confusion. RAW confusion is mostly just a very slow, bookeeping-heavy way to skip a creature's turn. At DM discretion, the following table may be used instead of the one above:

Confused Behavior (Chaotic Variant)

#	Confused Behavior
1	The creature falls prone and ends its turn without taking an action.
2	The creature uses its action to fling a weapon or spell focus it is wielding, making an Improvised Ranged Weapon Attack against a creature of its choice in range. A creature not wielding a weapon or spell focus may instead throw any item it is carrying.
3	Before taking an action, the creature falls prone and must use all its movement to crawl in a random direction.
4	Before taking an action, the creature must use all its movement to run in a random direction.
5	Before taking an action, the creature must use half of its movement to run in a random direction.
6	The creature does not add its proficiency bonus to attacks it makes this turn, and cannot cast spells of 1st level or above.
7	If the creature chooses targets for an attack or effect, the targets are determined at random from those in range. If the creature casts a spell that affects an area centered on a point, the spell's area scatters 1d6 x 5 feet in a random direction before taking effect.
8	The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws until the beginning of its next turn.
9-10	The creature can act and move normally.

Cursed

A Cursed creature suffers the effects of the curse it is afflicted with. Unless specified otherwise, curses typically last until removed, and do not end on a creature that dies. A creature may be afflicted with multiple different curses simultaneously. Some curses have an additional effect that happens when the curse is removed.

Ending the Cursed Condition. Spells such as Remove Curse and Greater Restoration can end one curse affecting a creature.

Variant: Persistent Curses. At DM discretion, a curse may require magic of a specific level to remove, require a skill check against a set DC in a manner similar to the Dispel Magic Spell, or require a specific procedure to remove the curse.

Dazed

A dazed creature can only do one of the following things on their turn: move, use an action, or use a bonus action. If a creature becomes dazed during their turn, their turn ends.

Extra Actions while Dazed. When a dazed creature is affected by a spell or effect that gives them an extra action on their turn (like the haste spell or the fighter’s Action Surge feature), they can still take this extra action, in addition to the movement, action, or bonus action allowed by the dazed condition.

Immunity to the Dazed Condition. A creature that is immune to the Paralyzed or Stunned condition also has immunity to the dazed condition.

Ending the Dazed Condition. Any effect that ends the Paralyzed or Stunned condition can also end the Dazed condition.

Deafened

A deafened creature can’t hear and automatically fails any ability check that requires hearing.

Ending the Deafened Condition. Spells such as Lesser Restoration, Greater Restoration, and Mass Heal can end the Deafened condition on a creature.

Variant: Debilitating Deafness. At DM discretion, a Deafened creature that attempts to cast a spell with a verbal component may first need to roll a d20. On a roll of 1-10, the Deafened creature's action is wasted and the spell does not take effect or expend a spell slot.

Diseased

A Diseased creature suffers the effects of the disease it is afflicted with. A Diseased creature may be afflicted with multiple different diseases simultaneously.

Ending the Diseased Condition. Unless otherwise specified, spells such as Lesser Restoration and class features such as the Paladin's Lay On Hands ability can end one disease affecting a creature. At DM discretion, nonmagical means specific to the disease and setting may be able to end it.

Dominated

A creature that is Dominated is Charmed and must follow the verbal or telepathic commands of the creature Dominating it to the best of its ability. If given no commands, the Dominated creature attempts to protect itself and the creature Dominating it. Any ability that allows a creature to resist or ignore the effects of the Charmed condition also applies to the Dominated condition.

Ending the Dominated Condition. Any effect that ends the Charmed condition can also end the Dominated condition.

Flanked/Flanking

A creature is Flanked if two enemies that can see it are adjacent to it and positioned on opposite sides of it. The two enemies are described as Flanking the Flanked creature. An Incapacitated creature cannot flank.

Typically, this condition has no mechanical impact on its own and can be safely ignored, but some abilities may interact with it, and there are variant rules available for making it more prominent in your games.

Why Use Flanking? The design intent of the variant flanking rules presented here is to incentivize tactical movement and positioning; this can be valuable if your games feature dynamic combats with lots of movement, but will likely add little if your combats tend toward static dogpiles, or if you primarily run Theater of the Mind combat.

Variant: Flanking for Advantage. Under this rule found in the 2014 D&D 5e DMG, Flanking creatures have advantage on attacks against creatures Flanked by them.

Design Notes: Don't use this. Advantage is the primary reward mechanic in D&D 5e, and this rule undermines the players' incentive to use their own abilities and to engage with the world.

Variant: Flanking for +1. Under this rule, Flanking creatures gain +1 to attack rolls made against a creature they are Flanking.

Design Notes: This has the advantage of not being game-warping in the way that Flanking for Advantage can be, with the downside of introducing a static modifier, which has some friction with the design aesthetics of 5e.

Variant: Flanking to Help. Under this rule, a creature that hits a target it is Flanking with a melee attack can use its bonus action on that turn to take the help action, granting a friendly creature that is Flanking the same target advantage on the next attack it makes against that target

Design Notes: This is somewhat similar to Flanking for Advantage, but adds an action cost, an additional condition that must be met to trigger it, and grants advantage to only a single attack per turn.

The intent is that this should avoid overshadowing class-based and situational means of gaining advantage.

Frightened

A Frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight.

The creature can’t willingly move closer to the source of its fear. Unless specified otherwise, a Frightened creature does not need to flee from the source of its fear.

Line of Sight. A source of fear is within a Frightened creature's line of sight if an unobstructed line could be drawn between them, even if the Frightened creature cannot see it. While within the Frightened creature's Line of Sight, the source of fear cannot be Hidden from that creature.

Ending the Frightened Condition. Spells such as Heroism, Calm Emotions, Beacon of Hope, Greater Restoration, and Power Word: Heal can end the Frightened condition on a creature.

Grappled

A Grappled creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed. The condition ends if the grappler is Incapacitated (see the condition).

Dragging a Grappled Creature. A creature may move a Grappled creature with it when it moves. If the Grappled creature is within one size category of the grappler, the grappler moves at half its speed when doing so.

Reorienting a Grapple. A grappler may move around a creature Grappled by it while maintaining its grapple, requiring no extra movement to do so.

Size Disparities. Unless otherwise stated, a creature may Grapple a creature up to one size larger than it. A creature at least one size larger than the creature grappling it may attempt to escape the Grapple as a Bonus Action.

Ending the Grappled Condition. As an action, a creature may attempt to escape a Grapple, making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the Grapple's Escape DC. If no DC is specified, the check is instead contested by the grappler with a Strength (Athletics) check of its own.

Forced Movement and Teleportation. Forced movement and teleportation can break grapples. If an effect removes the grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or grappling effect, the grapple ends. If an effect moves the grappler to a space where it cannot reach the grappled creature, the grapple ends. If an effect moves the grappler to a space where it can still reach the grappled creature, the grappled creature is moved the same distance in the same direction, if possible.

Grappling a Willing Creature. Attempts made to Grapple a willing creature succeed automatically. A willing, conscious creature can be dragged with no additional movement cost.

Multiple Grapplers. If a creature is Grappled by multiple grapplers, each creature grappling it may contest the check. On a successful check, the creature is no longer Grappled.

Grappling Multiple Creatures. A creature that is grappling one or more creatures may attempt to grapple another creature as long as it has an appendage available that could grapple that creature. A creature grappling multiple creatures suffers no additional penalties.

Releasing a Grapple. A creature may release a creature it has grappled with no action required on its turn.

Hidden

Hidden is a condition that describes a relationship between one creature that is not clearly seen by another and has successfully Hidden from it, typically by taking the Hide action.

Hiding. A creature that takes the Hide action makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check, becoming Hidden from any creature that cannot clearly see it whose Passive Perception the hiding creature rolled higher than.

A creature that has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks, such as a creature in complete darkness navigating by Darkvision alone, suffers a -5 penalty to its Passive Perception.

The GM decides whether one creature can clearly see another, but most usually becoming Hidden from a creature requires the hiding creature to be Heavily Obscured the creature it wishes to hide from.

Obscurement. An area is Lightly Obscured if some effect limits the ability of creatures to see through it, such as dim light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage. An area is Heavily Obscured when an effect blocks vision entirely, such as darkness, opaque fog, or dense foliage.

One creature can also be obscured from another by a situational effect that does not apply to a wider area, such as cover.

Hiding Creatures with Special Senses. At DM discretion, the conditions for being obscured can change depending on the primary senses of the creature one is hiding from.

Attacking While Hidden. Unless otherwise specified, you cease to be Hidden from every creature you are Hidden from after you make an attack.

A creature that exits cover in combat to approach a creature it is Hidden from will generally be seen. At DM discretion, a Hidden creature might be able to complete its approach before being spotted, allowing it to make one attack with advantage against a creature it is Hidden from.

Ending the Hidden Condition. You immediately cease to be Hidden from any creature that can clearly see you.

Incapacitated

An Incapacitated creature can’t take Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions. It does not impose disadvantage on hostile ranged attackers within 5 feet of it.

Invisible

An invisible creature impossible to see without the aid of magic or a special sense. The creature counts as Heavily Obscured from each creature that can't see it, and can attempt to hide without any other obscurement.

Hiding While Invisible. Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide while Invisible have advantage. Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect a Hidden creature that is Invisible have disadvantage.

Detecting Invisible Creatures. Creatures in D&D are exceptionally aware of their surroundings. A creature that turns Invisible is not automatically Hidden, and its position remains known by each creature it is not Hidden from, even if it moves, as creatures track its position by sound, shifting air currents, tiny visual clues, or by means of other senses.

Attacks of Opportunity. Attacks of Opportunity can be made only against a creature the attacker can see, and thus ordinarily can't be made against Invisible creatures.

Unseen Attackers. Invisible creatures are typically unseen by the creatures around them. Attack rolls made against a creature that cannot see the attacker have advantage, and attack rolls made against a creature the attacker cannot see have disadvantage.

Special Senses. Creatures with Blindsight and Truesight ignore the effects of Invisibility within the range of their special senses, as do creatures with Tremorsense if the Invisible creature and the creature with Tremorsense are in contact with the same contiguous surface, most commonly the ground.

Hiding From Creatures with Mixed Senses. When an Invisible creature attempts to Hide from a group of creatures that possess different senses, it makes a separate check without advantage to Hide from creatures that ignore its Invisibility.

Levitating

A levitating creature is suspended weightlessly; it does not fall if unsupported, and cannot use its speed to walk, but can use special movement types available to it such as flying, and can drag itself as though it were climbing along any surface or object it can reach.

Ending the Levitating Condition. The Levitating condition is typically imposed by a spell or environmental effect, and typically ends when the spell or environmental effect ends for the creature, or when the creature leaves the spell or effect's area of influence.

Variant: Air-Swimming. At DM discretion, a Levitating creature may use its action to propel itself 5 feet through the air.

Limb Damage

Certain effects may cause a creature to temporarily or permanently lose the use of a limb, causing the following effects (assuming roughly humanoid anatomy).

Limb	Effect
One Leg	The creature has its movement reduced by 10
Both Legs	The creature falls Prone, has its movement reduced by 10, and can't stand.
One Arm	The creature has disadvantage with attacks using two-handed weapons, and can't wield a shield and weapon or two weapons simultaneously.
Both Arms	The creature can't wield weapons or shields, and can't activate magic items that require the use of hands.

Paralyzed

A Paralyzed creature is Incapacitated (see the condition), can’t move or speak, and automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacking Paralyzed Creatures. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. Any attack, melee or ranged, that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Melee attacks made from more than 5 feet away are not automatic critical hits.

Ending the Paralyzed Condition. Spells such as Lesser Restoration, Freedom of Movement, Greater Restoration, or Power Word: Heal can end the Paralyzed condition on a creature

Petrified

A Petrified creature is transformed, along with any nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance, such as stone, salt, ice, or gold. Its weight increases by a factor of ten, and it ceases aging.

• The creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can’t move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• The creature has resistance to all damage.
• The creature is immune to poison and disease, although a poison or disease already in its system is suspended, not neutralized.

Ending the Petrified Condition. Spells such Greater Restoration

Poisoned

A Poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Ending the Poisoned Condition. Spells such as Lesser Restoration and class features such as the Paladin's Lay On Hands ability can end one Poison affecting a creature.

Possessed

When a creature or object becomes Possessed, the possessing creature (hereafter referred to as a "spirit") is removed from play; it can't be affected or harmed by any means unless otherwise stated, and it can't take actions, bonus actions, or reactions.

Possessing a Creature. The body of a Possessed creature or object is controlled by the spirit possessing it, and can use any of the abilities normally available to the creature. Unless otherwise stated, the possessing spirit gains no special insight into a Possessed creature's thoughts or memories.

Ending the Possessed Condition. In addition to any other means specific to a given spirit, the following means can be used to end the Possessed condition on a creature or object. When a creature or object ceases to be Possessed, the possessing spirit is expelled into the nearest unoccupied space.

• The Ceremony spell may be used to perform an exorcism on a Possessed creature or object the spell caster can see within 15 feet. Upon casting, the spirit must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against the spell caster's Save DC or be expelled from the Possessed creature or object.
• The Banishment spell may target a spirit Possessing a creature or object in its range. A spirit that fails a saving throw against it immediately ends any Possession it is imposing, in addition to the spells other effects.
• The Dispel Good and Evil spell expels any spirit Possessing its target.
• Any effect that imposes the Turned condition affects possessing spirits as though they were in the space of the creature or object Possessed by them. A spirit that is Turned is immediately expelled from any creature or object it is Possessing.
  

Releasing a Possessed Creature or Object. Unless otherwise stated, a possessing spirit may release a creature or object Possessed by it at any time, with no action required.

Prone

A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl, which it can do at half its walk speed unless otherwise noted. When a flying creature falls Prone, it immediately falls 500 feet, then if it is still airborne the Prone condition ends for it.

Attacking While Prone. A Prone creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.

Attacking a Prone Target. Attacks made against a Prone creature have advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Attacks made against a Prone creature have disadvantage if the attack is not within 5 feet of the creature.

Ranged Attacks Made Near a Prone Enemy. A prone creature imposes disadvantage on ranged attacks made by hostile creatures within 5 feet of it as normal.

Ending the Prone Condition. A Prone creature may spend half its ordinary walking speed to stand, thus ending the prone condition. A creature within 5 feet of a Prone creature may help the Prone creature to its feet as an action.

Reduced Statistics

Unless otherwise stated, a creature that has one of its statistics reduced to 0 suffers an effect associated with that statistic from the following table:

Statistic	Effect
STR	The creature's speed becomes 0 and it can't make attacks.
DEX	The creature's speed becomes 0 and attack rolls against the creature have advantage. Any attack, melee or ranged, that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
CON	Death
INT	The creature is Unconscious and in a catatonic, coma-like state.
WIS	The creature is Unconscious and beset by terrible nightmares.
CHA	The creature becomes perfectly indifferent to everything, takes no action in pursuit of any goal, and moves only if pushed.

Reduced Constitution and Hit Points. Temporary reductions to a creature's Constitution score do not affect its current or maximum hit points. Indefinite reductions to a creature's Constitution score are applied to its maximum hit points when it completes a Long Rest.

Ending the Reduced Statistics Condition. In addition ot any other means specified, any reduction to one of a creature's ability scores can be ended with the Greater Restoration spell.

Restrained

A Restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Attacking a Restrained Creature. Attack rolls against the Restrained creature have advantage, and the Restrained creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.

Ending the Restrained Condition. As an action, a Restrained creature may attempt to escape an effect restraining it, making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the restraint's Escape DC.

Any effect that could end the Grappled condition, such as teleportation, forced movement, or spells such as Freedom of Movement, can also end the condition.

Stunned

A Stunned creature is Incapacitated (see the condition), can’t move, and can speak only falteringly. The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacking a Stunned Creature. Attack rolls against the Stunned creature have advantage.

Ending the Stunned Condition. Spells such as Greater Restoration can end the Stunned condition on a creature.

Suffocating

When a creature that is Choking runs out of breath or loses its held breath, it begins Suffocating. A Suffocating creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and begins Dying, and it can’t regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.

For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.

Swallowed

A swallowed creature is trapped inside the creature or effect that swallowed it. Its movement becomes 0, it moves with the creature swallowing it.

Vision While Swallowed. The space inside a Swallowing effect is typically dark unless illuminated by some internal source.

Restraint While Swallowed. A creature Swallowed by a creature or effect less than three size categories larger than it is Restrained.

Damage From Inside. Damage a creature is dealt from an effect that originates inside of it ignores the creature's damage resistances and immunities.

Saving Throws From Inside. A creature automatically fails any Dexterity saving throw from an effect that originates inside of it, and has disadvantage on any Constitution saving throws from such an effect.

Ending the Swallowed Condition. If an escape DC is noted, it indicates that some portion of the creature is within reach of some means of exiting the space it is Swallowed in.

In such cases, a creature may end the Swallowed condition on itself or on a creature Swallowed by a creature or effect within 5 feet as an Action with a successful Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

When the Swallowed condition ends for a creature, it emerges prone in the nearest unoccupied space.

Teleportation. A swallowed creature that teleports out of the space it is swallowed in has the condition end for it.

Releasing a Swallowed Creature. As a Reaction when a creature is dealt damage by a creature Swallowed by it, it may regurgitate each creature Swallowed by it.

Temporary Hit Points

Some hostile effects can cause a creature to gain temporary points, with an additional negative effect that persists as long as the temporary hit points do.

Ending Temporary Hit Points. These temporary hit points can be reduced to 0 by damage as normal.

A creature that already has temporary hit points may choose not to gain temporary hit points, and thus having temporary hit points can act as a shield against effects such as these.

A creature that gains temporary hit points while it has any temporary hit points may choose to accept them, thus losing their earlier temporary hit points and freeing them from any attached effect.

Turned

A Turned creature must spend its action and movement on each of its turns trying to move as far away as possible from the creature or effect that turned it, can't willingly move to a space within 30 feet of that creature or effect, and can't take reactions. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

Ending the Turned Condition. A Turned creature that takes any damage has the condition end for it.

Unconscious

An unconscious creature is Incapacitated (see the condition), can’t move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings unless specified otherwise.

• A creature that falls Unconscious drops whatever it’s holding and falls Prone.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.

Ending the Unconscious Condition. Unless otherwise specified, an Unconscious creature that takes any damage, or that has another creature shake it awake as an Action, has the condition end for it.

Exhaustion

Some special abilities and environmental hazards, such as starvation and the long-term effects of freezing or scorching temperatures, can lead to a special condition called exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An effect can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as specified in the effect’s description.

Level	Effect
1	Disadvantage on ability checks
2	Speed halved
3	Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4	Hit point maximum halved
5	Speed reduced to 0
6	Death

If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect that causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion increases by the amount specified in the effect’s description.

A creature suffers the effect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks.

Removing Exhaustion. An effect that removes exhaustion, such as the Greater Restoration spell, reduces its level as specified in the effect’s description, with all exhaustion effects ending if a creature’s exhaustion level is reduced below 1.

Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level by 1, provided that the creature has also ingested some food and drink.

Save Ends

Many conditions that last more than a single round of combat allow the affected creature to repeat the saving throw to resist it on each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Such conditions are tagged as Save Ends, and specify either that the saving throw is repeated at the beginning of the affected creature's turn (Save Ends at beginning of turn) or at the end of the affected creature's turn (Save Ends at end of turn).

Denizens of The Abyss

The endless layers of the Abyss play host to an infinite variety of fiendish lifeforms, each fouler than the last.

There are some forms that seem more common than others, however, and while such forms are granted names by those forced into contact with them, one should not take this to mean that any two vrocks must resemble one another in any but the most superficial of ways. Demons are spawned and spread by the tainted wound of the Abyss itself, molded out of raw chaos and moved by the cosmic evil that pervades their native plane; their forms need not conform to any rule comprehensible to the sane.

With those limits of abyssal phylogeny established, let us embark upon the project of cataloguing these gnashing multitudes that populate the Abyss.

Demons

"Demons" simply denotes all those species native or naturalized to the Abyss; or those whose form was shaped substantially by the elemental malice that permeates its layers. It is a wastebin taxon, rendered near-useless by the nonsensical web of shifting relationships that span between demonic species and the multifarious means by which they spawn.

Any who have had dealings with demons can tell the true bonds that link them, however; their irredeemable, irrepressable cruelty; their mad and gleeful hunger for carnage; their explosive rage that builds with each second of peace. There are precious few foes more terrible to face on the field of battle, and yet nothing in all the planes is worse to have at your back as an
ally.

Obyriths

Ancient are the obyriths, ancient beyond reckoning. Before mortals walked upon earth or gods in the heavens, the undivided chaos of the primordial Abyss was pierced by a shard of purest Evil, sent from beyond the cosmos by the obyriths when their own realm held nothing else to destroy.

From this shard spilled their squamous multitudes, and from this shard was the Abyss as we know it today spawned, the formation of its ever-increasing layers something akin to an immune response by a wounded cosmos.

Indeed, the cosmos itself rejects the presence of the obyriths, detests their alien intrusion; no creature born of these realms can look upon them without that innate revulsion, that crawling WRONGNESS rooted beyond any mortal fear, rooted in the very elements flesh and spirit are sculpted from.

Tanar'ri

Evoked from this shard of Evil were the tanar'ri; by the obyriths, by the great Powers ruined by its call, by petitioners claimed by the will of the shard itself; unleashed in their infinite forms to serve in endless battle. Chaos, however, serves only itself, and ruin awaits all those who think themselves its master.

Where the undifferentiated cruelty of the obyriths was abstract and alien, the cruelty of the tanar'ri was a thing of unsurpassed passion; they regarded each fragment of creation with an intimate and personal hatred; their boundless, burning need for its suffering and ruin matched only by their savage delight at its destruction.

Loumara

The sea of curling mists that fills the 230th layer of the Abyss, now known as the Dreaming Gulf, is what remains of the last true assault on the Abyss itself, when a cohort of divinities descended to tear out and destroy the layer in retribution against its then-lord. This tresspass woke the shard from its torpor, and the corpses of those Powers lie within the crater their folly made, chaos-touched nightmares oozing from their dreaming death as the Abyss gradually digests their remnants.

Layers of the Abyss

Layer	Common Names	Ruler
1	Plain of Infinite Portals/Pazunia	Pazuzu/Contested
2	Driller's Hives	Tharzax
3	The Forgotten Land	Zzyczesiya
4	The Grand Abyss	Contested
5	Wormblood	Contested
6	Realm of a Million Eyes	Great Mother
7	The Phantom Plane	Sess'inek
8	The Skin-Shedder	Volisupula
9	Burningwater	None
10	That Hellhole	None
11	Molrat	Contested
12	Twelvetrees	None
13	Blood Tor	Beshaba
14	The Steaming Fen	The Queen of Chaos
17	Death's Reward	Abraxas
21	The Sixth Pyre	Kardum
23	The Iron Wastes	Kostchtchie
27	Malignebula	Lissa'aere
32	Sholo-Tovoth/The Fields of Consumption	Turaglas
45-47	Azzagrat	Graz'zt
49	Shaddonon	Rhyxali
52	Vorganund	Contested
57	Torturous Truth	Alvarez
66	The Demonweb Pits	Lolth
67	The Heaving Hills	Verrangoin
68	The Swallowed Void	Abandoned
69	The Crushing Plain	None
70	The Ice Floe	None
71	Spirac	None
72	Darklight	Nocticula
73	The Wells of Darkness	None
74	Smaragd	Meershaulk and Ramenos
79	The Emessu Tunnels	Anarazel
88	The Gaping Maw	Demogorgon
89	The Shadowsea	Dagon
90	The Guttering Grove	Ilsidahur
92	Ulgurshek	Ulgurshek
111	The Mind of Evil	Sch'thrruppasstt
113	Thanatos	Orcus
128	The Slugbed	Luperico

Layer	Common Names	Ruler
137	Outcasts' End	Azazel
142	Lifebane	Chemosh
148	Torrent	Contested
176	Hollow's Heart	Fraz-Urb'luu
177	The Writhing Realm	Ugudenk
181	The Rotting Plain	Laogzed
193	Vulgaria	Eshebala
222	Shedaklah	Juiblex and Zuggtmoy
223	Offalmound	Contested
230	The Dreaming Gulf	None
245	The Scalding Sea	Contested
248	The Hidden Layer	Eltab
274	Durao	None
297	The Sighing Cliffs	Lynkhab
303	The Sulfanorum	None
313	Gorrion's Grasp	Contested
333	The Broken Scale	Hiddukel
340	The Black Blizzard	Contested
348	Indifference	Contested
359	The Arc of Eternity	Eldanoth
377	Plains of Gallenshu	None
399	The Worm Realm	Urlden
400	Woeful Escarand	Lords of Woe
403	The Rainless Waste	None
421	The White Kingdom	Doresain
422	Yeenoghu's Realm	Yeenoghu
423	Galun-Khur	Unknown
452	Ahriman-abad	Ahrimanes
471	Androlynne	Pale Night
487	Lair of the Beast/Mansion of the Rake	Kanchelsis
489	Noisome Vale	Contested
493	The Steeping Isle	Siragle
499	Carroristo	None
503	Torremor	Pazuzu
507	Occipitus	Adimarchus
524	Shatterstone	Vaprak
531	Vudra	Shaktari
558	Fleshforges	Dwiergus
566	Soulfreeze	Aseroth
586	Prison of the Mad God	Diinkarazan
597	Goranthis	Socothbenoth
600	The Endless Maze	Baphomet
663	Zionyn	Obox-ob

Adaru

Adaru Lore

Nature DC 15: Though adaru devour flesh for entertainment, it is lies that sustain them, and thus attempting to deceive one is often a deadly proposition.
Religion DC 10: It is said an adaru is spawned from the
muck of the Abyss whenever a great lie is told, and often immediately attempts to seek out its progenitor and
consume it.
Religion DC 20: The creeping vapors that issue forth from the dripping pores in the centipede-like adaru's carapace are actually a concentrated form of pure, elemental evil; addictive to the cruel and sadistic and sickening to those without such propensities.

Adaru Tactics

Adarus keep a coterie of weaker thralls nearby, sucking the evil from their pores, and begin combat by sending them ahead to tie up any serious threats, then using their prodigious movement abilities to circle around to
flanking positions that affect as many foes with their
Vent Evil ability as possible while avoiding direct contact. They attack first with their Skittering Coils, biting only once they have a creature grappled. When they have a creature grappled, they ask it a question each turn about some compromising weakness or shameful secret, provoking it into lying to trigger their Devour Lies.

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Adaru

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
• Speed 50 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	14 (+2)	19 (+4)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +5, INT +6, WIS +4
• Skills Deception +7, Insight +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft. Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Liar's Guile. The adaru can detect lies told by creatures within 30 feet of it by scent.

Vent Evil. The pores in an adaru's carapace constantly vent an vile miasma that warps the minds of all it touches. A creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of the adaru must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, a creature is Poisoned and Frightened until the beginning of its next turn if it is non-evil, or Charmed and under the adaru's control for the same duration if it is evil.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The adaru makes two attacks with its Skittering Coils, one of which it may replace with its Dripping Mandibles or the Dodge action.

Dripping Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.

Skittering Coils. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14).

While grappled in this way, a creature is restrained and must immediately answer any question asked of it.

Reactions

Devour Lies. When a creature grappled by the adaru tells a lie, the adaru can attach its sucking organ to the creature's face.

The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage and lose any proficiency it has in Deception until restored by Greater Restoration or similar magic.

Alkilith

Alkiliths are the wretched spawn of Juiblex, the Faceless Lord's dropped sheddings nurtured into foul and corrupted maturity and dispatched to spread ruin to the material plane. On its own, an alkilith is terrible enough to kill by its mere presence, but its true threat is in its ability to soak into the bones of a building, corrupting an arch or doorway and becoming a living conduit to the depths of the Abyss.

Alkilith Lore

Arcana DC 15: An alkilith, if left unchecked, rapidly becomes a full demonic incursion, as its innate ability to turn any mundane portal into a planar one can run rapidly out of control. Its ability to do so requires concentration, however, and is limited by the wounds it has sustained.
Religion DC 20: Alkiliths are cast-off pieces of the demon lord Juiblex, left to attain sentience and spread the madness and chaos of the Abyss. They continue growing as long as they are alive, some reportedly reaching the size of a lake.

Alkilith Tactics

An alkilith begins combat by attempting to summon a Hezrou, Vrock, or Yochlol, and continues summoning as long as it is allowed to undisturbed. It then tries to grapple as many creatures as it can, using its Fume any time it is available and the alkilith can catch at least three enemies in it.

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Alkilith

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 252 (24d8 + 144)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	19 (+4)	22 (+6)	6 (-2)	11 (+0)	7 (-2)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +8, CON +10
• Skills Arcana +6, Stealth +8
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Acid, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages Understands Abyssal but can't speak
• Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

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

False Appearance. While the alkilith is motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary slime or fungus.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The alkilith makes three melee attacks.

Polluting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 1 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) acid damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16).

Living Portal (Concentration). The alkilith begins to channel the essence of the Abyss through its body, becoming a portal to a distant corner of the Abyss.

If the alkilith is still concentrating at the beginning of its next turn, a demon with maximum hit points equal to or less than the alkilith's current hit points is summoned to the nearest unoccupied space, and the alkilith loses half its current hit points.

Fume (Recharge 5-6). The area in a 15 foot radius around the alkilith becomes heavily obscured until the beginning of its next turn as it exudes toxic fumes. A creature that starts its turn in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 27 (6d8) poison damage, or half as much on a success.

Reactions

Foment Madness. When the alkilith loses concentration as a result of being hit with a melee attack, the alkilith can force the attacker to succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or have its proficiency bonus reduced by one for the next minute.

Armanites

Armanite Lore

Arcana DC 15: An armanite moving at speed is able to gallop on thin air, a tactic which they use to great effect when charging through enemy formations, and one particularly useful to those armanites that master the magics of lightning. History DC 15: Armanites gather in mercenary warbands that rove the depths of the Abyss, serving as heavy cavalry in wars between the great demon lords and spilling forth to make war on other planes if left idle too long.
History DC 20: They frequently take a portion of their pay in promised bloodshed, and have been known to abandon battles when faced with foes either too unimpressive or too hardened to grant them the immediate satisfaction of slaughter.
Nature DC 15: The armor borne by armanites is sculpted from the chitin of great armored worms, hunted in brief windows of peacetime to keep herds from turning their violence inward.
Religion DC 15: Though as chaotic as any others of demonkind, armanites seemed uniquely capable of focus upon the task at hand once battle is joined, only occasionally attacking or otherwise sabotaging their wartime allies.

Armanite Headbreaker

Armanite headbreakers typically mill about near a bloodwether, waiting for it to charge in first so they can pour in behind it, hopefully drawing less fire. They use their aerial charge to gallop over more heavily armored foes to reach backline ranged combatants, clustering around them.

Armanite Bloodwether Tactics

Armanite bloodwethers strive to be first to engage an enemy, Dashing on the first turn of combat to provoke a stampede from their allies and galloping roughly 20 feet off the ground until they reach their desired target.

If they miss with two attacks in a row, they become frustrated and switch targets even if they must provoke attacks of opportunity to do so, and if they fail to land an attack for two turns in a row they will often simply leave.

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Armanite Headbreaker

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 22 (3d10 + 6)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	17 (+3)	15 (+2)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

---

• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Sylvan, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge M16 (1,500 XP)

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Aerial Charge. If the armanite dashes, it gains a fly speed equal to its movement speed until the end of its next turn.

Minion. If the armanite takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the armanite takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Actions

Storm of Hooves (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 bludgeoning damage. This attack deals an additional 3 damage if the armanite is flying.

Reactions

Stampede. When a friendly creature it can see within 10 feet takes the Dash action, the armanite can take the Dash action, moving in the same direction if possible.

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Armanite Bloodwether

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75)
• Speed 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	18 (+4)	21 (+5)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

---

• Skills Athletics +8, Perception +4, Survival +4
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 14
• Languages Abyssal, Sylvan, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

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Aerial Charge. If the armanite dashes, it gains a fly speed equal to its movement speed until the end of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The armanite makes three attacks; one with its Wicked Claws, one with its Hooves, and one with its Serrated Tail.

Wicked Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the armanite may grapple the target (escape DC 16)

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The armanite may make this attack as a bonus action if it is flying.

Serrated Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage.

Reactions

Quick Kick. When a creature makes an attack against the armanite that benefits from flanking it, the armanite can make a Hooves attack against it.

Stampede. When a friendly creature it can see within 10 feet takes the Dash action, the armanite can take the Dash action, moving in the same direction if possible.

Armanite Lancer Tactics

Armanite lancers usually stay a bit behind and above a larger cohort of armanites, first buffing up with their Tempestuous Impulse, then raining down Lancing Sparks, attacking from the air then retreating back up each turn while it recharges.

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Armanite Lancer

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 18 (Demonic Chitin Plate)
• Hit Points 210 (20d10 + 100)
• Speed 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	18 (+4)	21 (+5)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)

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• Skills Arcana +5, Athletics +10
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Abyssal, Sylvan, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Aerial Charge. If the armanite dashes, it gains a fly speed equal to its movement speed until the end of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The armanite makes three attacks; one with its Crackling Longspear, one with its Hooves, and one with its Serrated Tail.

Crackling Longspear. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) lightning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. The armanite may make this attack as a bonus action if it is flying.

Serrated Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage.

Tempestuous Impulse (4th Level Spell, Concentration). For the next minute, the armanite gains the ability to Dash as a bonus action and its attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) lightning damage.

Lancing Spark (Recharge 5-6, 5th Level Spell). The armanite looses a bolt of lightning in a line 60 feet long and 10 feet wide.

Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 36 (8d8) lightning damage, or half as much damage on a success.

Reactions

Quick Kick. When a creature makes an attack against the armanite that benefits from flanking it, the armanite can make a Hooves attack against it.

Babau

It is a mistake to believe that one has grasped the nature of the Abyss, the root of chaos from which that inexhaustable tide of demons flows. Even demons can exhibit subtlety and subterfuge; even demons can make far-reaching plans; even demons can keep faith.

Babau Lore

Arcana DC 15: The shadow clones left behind in the wake of a teleporting babau are agents of confusion and chaos, sowing carnage before exploding in a shower of acid.
History DC 15: Babaus are said to have been birthed from the spilt blood of a powerful devil, splashed upon the thirsting ground of the Abyss. Though they enact many schemes both for reasons of their own and at the behest of greater demons, their true allegiance is said to lie with the devil that birthed them.

Babau Tactics

Babaus attempt to sow confusion and discord, teleporting through the midst of their foes and leaving a trail of shadow clones that explode in showers of acid, escaping in the confusion with a kidnapped target that it can murder in seclusion before diving back into the fray.

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Babau

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

---

• Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages Abyssal
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

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Shadow Clones. Whenever the babau teleports, it leaves behind a copy of itself with the following traits:

• The clone has 1 hit point and dies at the end of the babau's next turn.
• When the clone dies, each creature within 5 ft. of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage.
• As a Bonus Action, the babau can command the clone to move up to 40 ft. and make a Flickering Claw attack.

Actions

Multiattack. The babau makes two attacks with its Flickering Claw, one of which it may replace with a use of its Rend Magic or Murderous Abduction, if available.

Flickering Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage and the babau teleports up to 10 ft.

Rend Magic (3rd Level Spell). The controller of one spell or magical effect the babau can see within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or have the spell or effect end.

Murderous Abduction (Recharge 5-6). The babau and up to one creature within 5 ft. of it each teleport up to 30 ft. in the same direction. An unwilling and conscious creature makes a DC 13 Charisma saving throw, resisting the effect on a success.

Reactions

Weakening Glare. When the babau is targeted with a melee attack, the babau can force the attacker to succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or have the attack's damage reduced by half.

Balors

Balors are hatred incarnate, paragons of passion and rage that inspire the endless hordes of the Abyss under their sway to ever greater heights of frenzied cruelty. Lesser demons look upon their form and passion with a tainted mixture of worship, envious hatred, and terror, as they are the perfect expression of the demonic ideal.

Balor Lore

Arcana DC 10: Those who dare to meet the gaze of a balor spontaneously combust, causing even the most powerful of fiends to avert their gaze when the thunderous footsteps of one draw near. Upon death, the corpse of a balor explosively disgorges the inner flame that fuels them.
Arcana DC 15: Balors are among the most likely of demons to treat with individual mortals, as they crave destruction wherever it may be sown, not merely what they may personally inflict. Cults or other groups that attempt to summon balors often find their leadership promptly devoured, however, as balors brook no potential challenges to their dominion.
History DC 15: Though generally deployed as the
nominal leaders of their demonic detachments,
balors disdain the idea of coldly dispatching
orders from the rear, often charging ahead of
their cohort to be first to draw blood.
History DC 20: Balors are despised by mariliths
and nalfeshnees for their relative lack of tactical
acumen and preference for glory over victory,
and are often compared to manes in
temperament. Despite this, balors are
possessed of incredibly keen strategic
minds, albeit ones bent toward carnage
above any other aim.
Religion DC 20: Despite often being
the most powerful individual servants of
demon lords, balors are rarely in highest
favor or standing, as their brash
temperament and boundless ambition
makes them unreliable servants. In
time, each balor inevitably attempts
to kill any that claim rulership over
them, and as a result enlisting one
is a delicate game of distractions
and delays to extract as much use
from them before that
fated confrontation must occur.

Balor Warmonger Tactics

Warmongers dive into the fray with no regard to their own safety, though will briefly retreat and reposition with their teleport if surrounded by foes that can bypass their damage resistances. In general, they lay about with their blade and lash indiscriminately, not wanting to kill any individual too quickly and deprive themselves of an opponent, though they always target a creature averting its gaze with their Lightning Blade, if available.

Balor Scion of Brutality Tactics

Scions of Brutality fight somewhat more tactically, combining their Meteor Stride and Inspire Bloodlust to help their armies close with the enemy, then using Wrathful Devotion to become the locus of as much violence as possible.

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Balor Warmonger

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 225 (18d12 + 108)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
26 (+8)	15 (+2)	22 (+6)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)	22 (+6)

---

• Saving Throws STR +14, CON +12, WIS +9, CHA +12
• Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning; Attacks made without advantage
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 19 (22,000 XP)

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Death Throes. When the balor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 70 (20d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Blazing Gaze. When a creature that the balor can see and that can see the balor's eyes starts its turn within 15 feet of it, it catches fire. Until someone takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid this effect at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the balor until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again.

Giant Stature. Attacks made against the balor by a creature Attached to it have advantage, and the balor has disadvantage on attacks it makes against creatures Attached to it.

Limited Magic Resistance. The balor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. On Saving Throws against magical effects that would Blind it, the balor has disadvantage, instead of advantage.

Actions

Multiattack. The balor makes two attacks: one with its lightning blade and one with its burning lash. It may replace one of its attacks with a use of its Teleport.

Lightning Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) lightning damage. On a critical hit with this attack, the balor rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice.

Each other creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take half the attack's damage.

Burning Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 43 (10d6 + 8) fire damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward the balor.

For each roll of 6 on the damage dice, this attack deals an additional 1d6 fire damage.

Teleport (7th Level Spell). The balor and each creature climbing on it magically teleport up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

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Balor Scion of Brutality

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 325 (26d12 + 182)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
27 (+8)	16 (+3)	24 (+7)	23 (+6)	16 (+3)	22 (+6)

---

• Saving Throws STR +15, CON +14, WIS +10, CHA +13
• Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning; Attacks made without advantage
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)

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Death Throes. When the balor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 70 (20d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Blazing Gaze. When a creature that the balor can see and that can see the balor's eyes starts its turn within 15 feet of it, it catches fire. Until someone takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 11 (2d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid this effect at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the balor until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again.

Giant Stature. Attacks made against the balor by a creature Attached to it have advantage, and the balor has disadvantage on attacks it makes against creatures Attached to it.

Limited Magic Resistance. The balor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. On Saving Throws against magical effects that would Blind it, the balor has disadvantage, instead of advantage.

Legendary Resistances (3/Day). If the balor fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The balor makes two melee attacks with different weapons, one of which it may replace with a use of its Teleport.

Headripper Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (3d12 + 8) piercing damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be decapitated.

Lightning Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) lightning damage. On a critical hit with this attack, the balor rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice.

Each other creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take half the attack's damage.

Burning Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 43 (10d6 + 8) fire damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward the balor.

For each roll of 6 on the damage dice, this attack deals an additional 1d6 fire damage.

Teleport (7th Level Spell). The balor and each creature climbing on it magically teleport up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Reactions

Brutal Display. When a friendly creature within 30 feet misses with an attack, the balor can make an attack against it with its Burning Lash.

Each other demon within 30 feet gains advantage on the first attack it makes on its following turn.

Legendary Actions

The balor can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

Meteor Stride. The balor moves up to half its fly speed, then drops to the ground. Each creature in the space where it lands is pushed to the nearest unoccupied space and must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage.

Wrathful Devotion (Costs 2 Actions). The balor lets out a teeth-rattling roar of challenge. Each creature of the balor's choice within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to target creatures other than the balor with attacks or harmful spells until the beginning of the balor's next turn.

Inspire Bloodlust (Costs 2 Actions). The balor teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see and makes an attack.

Each demon within 120 feet of the balor that can see it may use its reaction to move up to half its speed directly toward the attack's target.

Barlguras

Barlgura Lore

Arcana DC 15: Though too dull to develop any true
magical talent, certain barlguras seem to have an innate knack for the magics of invisibility, often achieving a permanent state of invisibility given enough time.
Religion DC 15: Barlguras are near-mindless
demonic brutes, favored by the demon lords
Baphomet and Yeenoghu for the unrestrained joy
they take in the carnage of battle.
Religion DC 20: Despite their impressive
physique, barlguras are most typically used in
demonic regiments as lone scouts and
guerrillas, due to their tendency to
intentionally crash into and flatten allies.

Barlgura Tactics

Barlguras approach from stealth, then leap
into the thickest concentration of enemies, grab
one, and flee with it, using their Slam on it each turn as they flee from its allies. If they manage to kill a creature, they flee, hide, then reengage at the earliest opportunity. If acting as scouts, they flee in earnest after being reduced below half hit points to report on their observations.

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Barlgura Spearbreaker

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)	7 (-2)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +5, CON +6
• Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5
• 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)

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Juggernaut 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. If the barlgura jumps at least 20 feet, it may land in the space of any medium or smaller creature.

A creature whose space the barlgura enters in this way must must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, or be pushed into the nearest unoccupied space on a success.

Actions

Multiattack. The barlgura makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Mauling Bite.

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

On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or lose an eye, nose, lip, or ear (target's choice).

Wild Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 15).

Slam. The barlgura slams a grappled creature into a wall or floor. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage and be Stunned until the end of the barlgura's next turn, or taking half as much damage on a success.

Hurl. The barlgura hurls a grappled creature up to 40 feet. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity Saving Throw or take 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone, or take half as much damage on a success.

A creature whose space the thrown creature lands in must make the same saving throw, taking no damage and moving to the nearest unoccupied space on a success.

Reactions

Reckless Tumble. When the barlgura misses with a melee attack, it can immediately make a Wild Fist attack with advantage, then fall prone and end its turn.

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Barlgura Terror Fiend

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 16 (Demonsteel Chain)
• Hit Points 175 (18d10 + 76)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	18 (+4)	19 (+4)	7 (-2)	15 (+2)	9 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws STR +9, DEX +8, CON +8
• Skills Perception +6, Stealth +8, Survival +6
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 30 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 16
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Invisible Terror. The barlgura is invisible. Whenever the barlgura reduces a creature within 5 feet to 0 hit points, it becomes splattered with blood and visible until it takes an action to clear the blood.

Juggernaut 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. If the barlgura jumps at least 20 feet, it may land in the space of any medium or smaller creature.

A creature whose space the barlgura enters in this way must must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone and take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, or be pushed into the nearest unoccupied space on a success.

Actions

Multiattack. The barlgura makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Mauling Bite.

Mauling Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) piercing damage.

On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or lose an eye, nose, lip, or ear (target's choice).

Studded Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10 feet away.

Wild Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 17).

Slam. The barlgura slams a grappled creature into a wall or floor. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage and be Stunned until the end of the barlgura's next turn, or taking half as much damage on a success.

Hurl. The barlgura hurls a grappled creature up to 40 feet. The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity Saving Throw or take 28 (8d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone, or take half as much damage on a success.

A creature whose space the thrown creature lands in must make the same saving throw, taking no damage and moving to the nearest unoccupied space on a success.

Reactions

Reckless Tumble. When the barlgura misses with a melee attack, it can immediately make a Wild Fist attack with advantage, then fall prone and end its turn.

Bloodthirsty Howl. When the barlgura reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it can let out a terrifying howl and gain 15 temporary hit points.

While it has any of these temporary hit points, a creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the barlgura that can see it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened of the barlgura until the beginning of the creature's next turn.

Bulezaus

Bulezau Lore

Arcana DC 15: Bulezaus have the ability to magically rot the flesh away from each living creature around them, including themselves, revealing the tough yet brittle bones that lie beneath their withered flesh.
History DC 15: Despite their skeletal physique, bulezaus wield their oversized ranseurs with surprising dexterity, and hordes of them are often used to break cavalry charges on the bloodfields of Acheron.
History DC 20: Bulezau brawls quickly escalate into mass carnage that can last for weeks in the ranks of a demonic army, so bulezaus suspected of discontent or bickering are often summarily executed by their demonic commanders before the mood can spread. If allowed to work themselves into a true heat of rage, bulezaus are often so resilient they must be quarantined away from their objects of resentment long enough to calm down before they can be killed.
Medicine DC 15: Bulezaus carry a fiendish sickness known as Flitrot, an enfeebling disease that causes its victims to cough and retch up flies as their skin slowly blackens and sloughs off.
Religion DC 15: Sardonically referred to as "Baphomet's perfect children" by scholars of the Abyss, bulezaus are famed for their obdurate refusal to retreat under any conditions, so spiteful that they would rather die than grant any comfort or convenience to a foe.

Flitrot. A creature infected with flitrot sports festering boils, coughs up flies, and sheds rotting skin. The infected creature does not recover spent hit dice on a long rest, and makes death saving throws at disadvantage.

Bulezau Rot Sower Tactics

Bulezaus fight out of hatred of failure, rather than love of victory, and get progressively more enraged when their attacks fail to find their mark. They typically attack the nearest or weakest-looking creature in their reach, but never switch targets until their chosen foe is dead, even when presented with compelling reasons to. They always fight to the death, and do not follow orders once combat has been joined unless magically compelled to. Once they can catch three or more foes in it, they use Fiendish Rot whenever available.

They have a particular hatred of vrocks due to the demons' habit of swooping in and striking the final blow against foes that a bulezau has softened up, and always use their Fend Off reaction against an allied vrock.

Bulezau Hatebrood Tactics

The bulezau hatebrood fully ignores any other creature once it has chosen an opponent, even to the extent of not making attacks of opportunity when it has the chance, and simply hammers away mindlessly at its foe, using its Infuriated Bellow whenever it misses.

Once reduced below a third of its hit points, the bulezau begins using Undying Hate whenever available, chasing after its chosen foe after each blow to keep it within 5 feet.

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Bulezau Rot-Sower

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 97 (13d8 + 39)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	9 (-1)	8 (-1)	6 (-2)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Shed Flesh. If the bulezau is affected by its Fiendish Rot ability or by that of another bulezau, its AC increases by 2, to a maximum of 16, and it gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage until it completes a Long rest.

Fading Torpor. Each time the bulezau reduces a creature to 0 hit points, its movement speed increases by 10 feet until it completes a Short or Long Rest, to maximum speed of 60 feet.

Actions

Multiattack. The bulezau makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Barbed Tail.

Outsize Ranseur. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.

Barbed Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become infected with Flitrot and be Poisoned until the end of its next turn as it retches a gout of flies.

Fiendish Rot (Recharge 5-6). Each creature (including the bulezau) within 15 ft. that does not have all of its hit points must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, or half as much on a success.

Reactions

Fend Off. When a creature enters its reach, the bulezau can make an Outsize Ranseur attack against it. If the attack hits, the creature's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its turn.

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Bulezau Hatebrood

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 153 (18d8 + 72)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	9 (-1)	8 (-1)	6 (-2)

---

• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

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Shed Flesh. If the bulezau is affected by the Fiendish Rot ability of another bulezau, its AC increases by 2, to a maximum of 16, and it gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage until it completes a Long rest.

Fading Torpor. Each time the bulezau reduces a creature to 0 hit points, its movement speed increases by 10 feet until it completes a Short or Long Rest, to maximum speed of 60 feet.

Actions

Multiattack. The bulezau makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Barbed Tail, and may use its Undying Hate if available.

Giantbreaker Greathammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 5 feet away.

Barbed Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become infected with Flitrot and be Poisoned until the end of its next turn as it retches a gout of flies.

Undying Hate (Recharge 4-6). The bulezau's eyes burn with bloodshot fury as it glares at a creature within 5 feet of it. Until the end of the bulezau's next turn, it cannot be reduced below 1 hit point while that creature remains within 5 feet of it.

Reactions

Infuriated Bellow. When the bulezau misses with an attack, it can let out an enraged scream.

Until the beginning of its next turn, attacks against the bulezau are made with advantage and whenever the creature it missed hits it with an attack, the bulezau may may make an attack with its Giantbreaker Greathammer against that creature.

Cerebrilith

Cerebrilith Lore

Religion DC 15: Cerebriliths, also called brain demons, are psionically empowered specialists deployed in demonic cohorts to assassinate spellcasters and rival psions, utilizing their extended brain to concentrate on multiple effects at once.

Cerebrilith Tactics

Cerebriliths begin combat with all of their Multilobe Psionics active, trading out the least currently useful of them for one of their actions that require concentration each turn. If engaging at range, they'll typically first swap Shadow in the Weave for Desecration Stride, then drop Psionic Mirage for Thought Mine, or for Searing Probe if supported by two or more allies. They prioritize as a target any creature that can do large burst damage, such as rogues and paladins.

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Cerebrilith

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 220 (21d10 + 105)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+4)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)	22 (+6)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)

---

• Saving Throws CON +9, INT +10, CHA +7
• Skills History +10, Insight +12, Perception +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 18
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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

Thought-Taster. If the cerebrilith runs its tongue across a creature's exposed brain, it learns each of that creature's deepest secrets.

Independent Lobes. The cerebrilith can concentrate on up to four separate effects simultaneously. If it fails a saving throw to maintain concentration, it loses concentration on each effect it is concentrating on.

Actions

Multiattack. The cerebrilith attacks four times with its Brainrake Claws, one of which it may replace with a use of its Searing Probe or Thought Mine.

Brainrake Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage. A creature killed by this damage has the upper part of its skull removed.

Searing Probe (Concentration). The cerebrilith viciously delves into a creature's mind, telepathically relaying its secret weaknesses to the cerebrilith's allies.

One creature the cerebrilith can see within 60 feet must make a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, attacks made against the creature score a critical on an 17-20 for the next minute.

Thought Mine (Concentration). The cerebrilith sets a bomb of psionic energy in the mind of a creature it can see within 120 feet, forcing it to make a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the first time in the next minute that the creature casts a spell of 1st level or above or uses a psionic ability, it takes 44 (8d10) psychic damage.

Desecration Stride (6th Level Spell, Concentration). For the next minute, whenever the cerebrilith takes damage it may teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Each other creature within 10 feet of that space takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

Plane Shift (7th level spell, 1/Day). The cerebrilith and up to eight willing creatures within 10 feet of it teleport to another plane of existence.

Bonus Actions

Multilobe Psionics. The cerebrilith gains one of the following benefits for as long as it maintains concentration on it:

• Thought Backup. The cerebrilith has advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration.
• Shadow in the Weave. A creature other than the cerebrilith that casts a spell of 1st level or higher while within 30 feet of the cerebrilith must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or take 3 (1d6) psychic damage per level of the spell.
• Mindslice. The cerebrilith's melee attacks have a reach of 60 feet and deal psychic damage instead of any other type.
• Psionic Mirage. Attacks made against the cerebrilith from more than 30 feet away are made at disadvantage.

Chasmes

Chasme Lore

Arcana DC 10: Chasmes are accomplished torturers, combining the magically soporific drone of their wings and their ability to induce agonizing nightmares, occasionally to extract information from prisoners but most commonly for their own amusement.
Medicine DC 15: Fly-like pests of the abyss, chasmes carry numerous demonic diseases, though most commonly one known as Fading Ague, also called ghostplague, a fever which sees a creature's very bodily essence wasting away until nothing but a cruel specter of the creature's former self remains.
Nature DC 15: Though quite agile in the air, chasmes move relatively clumsily on the ground, and can be easily surrounded and brought down if forced to land.
Religion DC 20: The droning of chasme wings is a sound dreaded throughout the Abyss, both for the sluggishness and nightmarish sleep it induces, and for the likely doom that follows it, as chasmes are the recruiters of the blood war, and any demon spotted by one is likely fodder for summoning to the front lines.

Chasme Plague Drone Tactics

Chasme plague drones swarm over the nearest uninfected creature in groups of of three to five, biting it until infected and then moving on, with the intent of following from the air until the creature dies so they can feed on it. They make no efforts to work with other demons, and often bite creatures sleeping from a chasme tormentor's Drone to gain advantage on their attacks, despite being unable to benefit from the automatic critical.

Chasme Tormentor Tactics

Chasme tormentors usually attack alone or with drones in tow, and when found with other demons are often unwelcome among their fiendish kin due to their Drone effects, though Magic Resistance does go a way toward ameliorating that effect. When demons have a reason to attack each other, though, chasmes are usually the first targeted, and demons remain wary of betrayal from any temporary chasme allies.

If they aren't pressured unduly, they use Dream Desecration whenever available, otherwise ignoring unconscious creatures and focusing on those posing an active threat. Once reduced below half hit points, they often start trying to use their Demonic Abduction each turn, targeting Barlguras, Hezrous, and Bulezaus to take their place in the battle.

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Chasme Plague Drone

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 19 (3d8 + 6)
• Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	6 (-2)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

---

• Senses Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge M12 (840 XP)

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

Minion. If the chasme takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the chasme takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Actions

Plaguebearer Bites (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 piercing damage plus 2 necrotic damage.

If at least two other chasmes attacked with it, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be afflicted with Fading Ague.

Reactions

Droning Chorus. When a creature the chasme can see within 30 feet makes a saving throw against another chasme's Drone, the chasme can force it to subtract one from its result.

Fading Ague. An infected creature takes on a slightly translucent pallor, which intensifies as the disease progresses. Whenever an infected creature drops to 0 HP, its Constitution score is reduced by 1d4 until the disease is cured. If the creature's Constitution is reduced to 0 it dies and a Specter rises from its corpse.

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Chasme Tormentor

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 110 (13d10 + 39)
• Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

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• Saving Throws DEX +5, WIS +5
• Skills Intimidation +3, Perception +5
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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

Drone. The chasme produces a horrid magical droning sound. A non-chasme creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of one or more chasmes that can hear them must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or deal only half damage with weapon attacks until the end of its next turn.

A creature that fails this save by 5 or more falls asleep until it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it.

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

Actions

Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 24 (7d6) necrotic damage.

On a critical hit, the target is Frightened until the end of its next turn.

Dream Desecration. One sleeping creature the Chasme can see within 15 feet takes 14 (4d6) nonlethal psychic damage, then must make on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, this damage does not wake the creature from its sleep, and the chasme discovers one fact which the creature wishes to keep hidden from it.

Demonic Abduction. One demon of CR 5 or lower that the chasme has seen in the last 10 days must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or teleport to switch positions with the chasme.

A creature that succeeds on this save is immune to the effect for 24 hours.

Dretches

Dretch Lore

Arcana DC 10: Dretch blood befouls the earth wherever spilt for generations to come, preventing plant growth and healing until purified by divine ritual.
History DC 10: Dretches are the core of any demonic force, as they are docile enough to be herded, vicious enough to be useful, and dangerous even to be around, as any wounds sustained in their presence quickly spawn gnawing dretch larvae.
History DC 15: Though lacking the suicidal levels of bloodlust seen in many demons, dretches are too stupid for their sense of self-preservation to do them much good, and are frequently known to charge into ravines, magma, or other hazards if not specifically directed to avoid them.
Nature DC 20: Dretches lack any form of recognizable digestive organs, instead having their chest cavities filled with a putrid, black fluid, prized by the abyssal shipwrights of The Gaping Maw for its use in waterproofing.
Religion DC 15: Dretches spawn spontaneously from the corpses of those slain in the abyss, particularly those that died in the presence of mature dretches. Some unfortunates, it is said, have birthed dretches from their festering wounds while still living, though one may hope these accounts are mere colorful extrapolation.

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Dretch Fodder

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 11 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
• Speed 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
11 (+0)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)	5 (-3)	8 (-1)	3 (-4)

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• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge M3 (140 XP)

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Larvae Haze. The dretch is surrounded by a cursed aura in which wounds become infested with dretch larvae. A non-dretch creature that takes any damage takes an additional 1 piercing damage for each dretch within 5 feet of it.

A creature killed within 5 feet of a dretch has a new dretch hatch from its corpse after 24 hours.

Befoul Earth. When the dretch dies, the ground within 10 feet of it is cursed and corrupted. Plants in the area wither and die, and magical healing that a creature in the area receives is reduced by half.

Minion. If the dretch takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the dretch takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Actions

Broken-Tooth Bites (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Dretch Tactics

Dretches slowly and resentfully flee from the last thing to harm or threaten them, and are herded en-masse toward enemy lines by greater demons. Once battle is joined, they attack whichever non-demon creatures are nearest.

They flee once wounded, but only specifically from the creature that wounded them, often running into greater danger. Likewise, they make no effort to avoid hazardous terrain or ongoing spell effects.

Dretch Agitators use their Groveling Whinge whenever attacked, and both agitators and hordes try to shove creatures into each other to make them fight each other rather than the dretches, most frequently targeting fellow demons.

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Dretch Agitator

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 60 (11d6 + 22)
• Speed 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	6 (-2)	9 (-1)	4 (-3)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

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Larvae Haze. The dretch is surrounded by a cursed aura in which wounds become infested with dretch larvae. A non-dretch creature that takes any damage takes an additional 1 piercing damage for each dretch within 5 feet of it.

A creature killed within 5 feet of a dretch has a new dretch hatch from its corpse after 24 hours.

Befoul Earth. When the dretch dies, the ground within 10 feet of it is cursed and corrupted. Plants in the area wither and die, and magical healing that a creature in the area receives is reduced by half.

Actions

Multiattack. The dretch makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Rotten Bite.

Rotten Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Curling Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Goading Shove. One creature within 5 feet of the dretch must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and is pushed 5 feet, then may use its reaction to make a melee attack.

On a successful save, the target must use its reaction to make an attack against the dretch. A creature may not voluntarily fail this saving throw.

Reaction

Groveling Whinge. When a creature targets the dretch with an attack, the dretch can fall prone and force the attacker to make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target for its attack, or else do half as much damage with it.

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Dretch Horde

Large swarm of small fiends (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 11 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 78 (12d6 + 36)
• Speed 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	5 (-3)	8 (-1)	3 (-4)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Damage from Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Stunned.
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Devouring Haze. The horde is surrounded by a cursed aura in which wounds become infested with dretch larvae. A non-dretch creature in the horde's space that takes any damage takes an additional 5 piercing damage.

A creature killed within 5 feet of the horde has a new dretch hatch from its corpse after 24 hours.

Poisoned Path. Whenever the horde takes 10 or more damage from a single source, the ground within 10 feet of it is cursed and corrupted. Plants in the area wither and die, and magical healing that a creature in the area receives is reduced by half.

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

Actions

Rotten Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (6d6 + 3) piercing damage, or 13 (3d6 + 3) piercing damage if the horde has fewer than half its hit points.

Maddening Melee (Recharge 4-6). Each other creature in the horde's space must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and be pushed up to 10 feet in a direction of the horde's choice. Then, each of those creatures may use its reaction to make a melee attack.

If the horde has more than half its hit points, this save is made at disadvantage.

Ferrolith

Ferrolith Lore

Religion DC 15: Also called iron demons or the handmaidens of pain, ferroliths are the demonic essence of succubi cast into the molten iron pits of Azzagrat, reformed with flesh of living metal.
Religion DC 20: The razor-sharp metal of a ferrolith's flesh causes them constant pain, keeping them in a perpetual state of brutal rage. Though sometimes still bound to the service of Graz'zt through magical compulsion, ferroliths throughout the Abyss despise their creator and will turn against him at any opportunity.

Ferrolith Tactics

Ferroliths largely disregard attacks of opportunity, beginning combat from the air with their Razor Barrage, then landing to race toward the most injured enemy and savage it with their Adamantine Claws.

They typically use their Enticing Charm only against a creature that manages to repeatedly hit them with melee attacks that bypass their resistances, after which they use their Compel each turn.

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Ferrolith

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	17 (+3)	21 (+5)	15 (+2)	15 (+2)	21 (+5)

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• Saving Throws STR +8, CON +9, CHA +9
• Skills Deception +9, Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +9, Stealth +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison; Piercing and Slashing
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
• Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Corrosion Weakness. If the ferrolith takes 10 or more acid damage from a single source, it loses its resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage until the beginning of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The ferrolith makes three attacks with its Adamantine Claws, one of which it may replace with a use of its Compel.

Adamantine Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) slashing damage. This attack scores a critical on an 18-20.

Compel. One creature charmed by the ferrolith must use its reaction to move up to half its speed and make a weapon attack.

Enticing Charm (Concentration). One humanoid the ferrolith can see within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically Charmed and under the ferrolith's control.

The Charmed creature repeats this saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. When the ferrolith's charm ends on a creature, the creature takes 44 (8d10) psychic damage and is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

Razor Barrage (Recharge 5-6). The ferrolith flings razor-sharp flakes of rust from its wings in a 30 foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (10d8) slashing damage, or half as much on a success.

Glabrezus

Glabrezu Lore

Arcana DC 10: Glabrezus are among the least likely of greater demons to immediately try to kill you upon being summoned, and are often even willing to bargain in good faith without being magically compelled to do so.
Arcana DC 20: Summoned glabrezus spread corruption through their very presence, even when tightly bound with enchantments. Crops die, livestock sicken, and the sky darkens in any area of the Prime Material in which a glabrezu lingers too long.
History DC 25: Books of demonology featuring faulty or corrupted rituals and spurious safety procedures for conjuration are the scourge of librarians across the Prime Material, as glabrezus and their thralls are forever trying to sneak such traps into any collection they can manage.
Nature DC 15: The crustacean-like carapaces of glabrezus, though sometimes reinforced with biomechanical augmentations, are famously brittle, and have been known
to crack under heavy blunt force.
Religion DC 15: Glabrezus go to great efforts to lure
mortals into corruption, lavishing their quarry with boons of whatever sort they can provide so long as it serves an evil aim of the mortal's. Unlike devils, however, who do so as an investment in the creature's soul as an asset to be harvested, glabrezus do so for the sheer love of exerting that power and the entertainment of seeing mortals work their own ruin.

This enthusiasm cuts both ways, however, as while glabrezus are far more generous than devils with their gifts, a glabrezu thinks very little of eviscerating a mortal companion that has ceased to be entertaining.
Religion DC 20: Those who think themselves tremendously clever in bargaining with demons rather than devils for fiendish aid are often vindicated in their belief that they can secure a more favorable contract by doing so, but dreadfully mistaken if they believe the demon will hold to either the letter or the spirit of such an agreement any longer than suits them.

Glabrezu Tactics

Glabrezus are often first into the fray and first to flee, eager for battle but unwilling to suffer serious injury for their bloodlust. Persectors aim to incapacitate a creature and abduct it for later bargaining, while corruptors dance around the perimeter with their Flickerbolt, using their Chaos Revels to jump into the edge of an Area of Effect spell and push its area onto unintended casualties.

Glabrezu Sire of Woe Tactics

Sires of woe use their Crackling Frenzy targeting themselves whenever possible just before attacking, preferring to use their multiattack for it if they have a creature grappled, and their legendary actions otherwise. If they fail a save against it, they begin using it on hardy allies and weak enemies instead.

They use their Corrupted Offering only on a creature Cursed by their Profane Fate to ensure it works, and target Strength-based characters to ensure they are sufficiently motivated to give in to bloodlust.

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Glabrezu Persecutor

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor), 14 While Reduced
• Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	17 (+3)	21 (+5)	19 (+4)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)

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• Saving Throws STR +9, CON +9, CHA +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

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Brittle Carapace. If the glabrezu takes 15 or more bludgeoning damage from a single source, its AC is reduced to 14 until it completes a Long Rest.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The glabrezu makes two attacks with its Crushing Claws.

Crusher Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 17) and pulled up to 5 feet toward the glabrezu.

If the target was already grappled by the glabrezu, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage and lose the use of a limb of its choice until it completes a Long Rest.

Gut Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Bonus Actions

Brutalize. The glabrezu makes two attacks with its Gut Punch against a grappled target.

Abyssal Abduction (3rd Level Spell). The glabrezu and up to one creature grappled by it teleport to an unoccupied space it can see within 30 feet.

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Glabrezu Corruptor

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor), 14 While Reduced
• Hit Points 178 (17d10 + 85)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	16 (+3)	21 (+5)	20 (+5)	17 (+3)	18 (+4)

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• Saving Throws STR +9, CON +9, CHA +7
• Skills Deception +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Aura of Disarray. A creature that casts a spell targeting an area that contains the glabrezu must first make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, the spell's area of effect scatters 25 (2d4*5) feet in a direction of the glabrezu's choice before taking effect.

Brittle Carapace. If the glabrezu takes 15 or more bludgeoning damage from a single source, its AC is reduced to 14 until it completes a Long Rest.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The glabrezu makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Seizer Claw.

Seizer Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16) and pulled up to 5 feet toward the glabrezu.

Flickerbolt (6th level Spell). Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) lightning plus 11 (2d10) force damage.

Before or after making this attack, the glabrezu may teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Reactions

Chaos Revels (3rd Level Spell). When a creature casts a spell targeting an area the glabrezu can see within 60 feet, the glabrezu can teleport to an unoccupied space in that area.

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Glabrezu Sire of Woe

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor), 16 While Reduced
• Hit Points 253 (22d10 + 132)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	17 (+3)	23 (+6)	21 (+5)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)

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• Saving Throws STR +11, CON +11, CHA +9
• Skills Deception +14, Perception +8, Persuasion +9
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 18
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

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Aura of Disarray. A creature that casts a spell targeting an area that contains the glabrezu must first make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failed save, the spell's area of effect scatters 25 (2d4*5) feet in a direction of the glabrezu's choice before taking effect.

Bioreinforced Carapace. If the glabrezu takes 20 or more bludgeoning damage from a single source, its AC is reduced to 16 until it completes a Long Rest.

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

Legendary Resistances (2/Day). If the glabrezu fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The glabrezu makes two attacks, one of which it may replace with a use of its Crackling Frenzy, if available.

Crusher Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 19) and pulled up to 5 feet toward the glabrezu.

If the target was already grappled by the glabrezu, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage and lose the use of a limb of its choice until it completes a Long Rest.

Gut Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d4 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

Crackling Frenzy (2nd Level Spell). One creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) lighting damage and be Stunned until the end of its next turn.

A creature that succeeds on this saving throw instead gains 14 (4d6) temporary hit points. While it has any of these temporary hit points, the creature's melee attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) lightning damage.

Corrupted Offering (9th Level Spell, 1/Day). One nonfiend creature within 10 feet of the glabrezu must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be Charmed by the glabrezu and hostile to each nonfiend creature it can see for the next minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

While Charmed in this way, the creature's Strength score permanently increases by 1, to a maximum of 22, whenever it reduces a humanoid former ally to 0 hit points.

Reactions

Sow Chaos (1/Day, 7th Level Spell, Concentration). When the glabrezu is reduced below 127 hit points, it can unleash a disorienting burst of chaotic psychic force in a 15 foot radius centered on a point it can see within 60 feet.

Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become Charmed by each other creature that failed this saving throw and hostile to each creature that did not for the next minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

This save cannot be failed voluntarily.

Legendary Actions

The glabrezu can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

Brutalize. The glabrezu makes two attacks with its Gut Punch against a grappled target.

Profane Fate (2nd Level Spell). One creature the glabrezu can see within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or be Cursed.

Whenever a creature Cursed in this way that the glabrezu can see succeeds on a saving throw, the glabrezu can end the curse on that creature and cause the creature to fail instead.

Abyssal Abduction (3rd Level Spell). The glabrezu and up to one creature grappled by it teleport to an unoccupied space it can see within 30 feet.

Crackling Frenzy (Costs 2 Actions). The glabrezu uses its Crackling Frenzy, if available.

Goristroi

Goristro Lore

Arcana DC 15: Due to both their endemic fear of falling and tendency toward uncontrolled rampages, goristroi are often deployed either far from any friendly forces worth preserving, or accompanied by demonic handlers meant to either magically control them or simply provoke and lure them toward strategic objectives.
History DC 15: Despite their beast-like intelligence, goristroi take great joy in stomping out their enemies' hopes, often literally when a creature in their reach receives magical healing.
Religion DC 10: Abyssal sieges are often decided by the tactical deployment or countering of goristroi, living siege weapons found in service of each of the great lords of the Abyss, able to climb or charge through walls at their pleasure with their fusion of bull and ape-like features. While they regularly reach heights of greater than 20 feet, some exceptional specimens can grow to sizes more than 10 times that.

Goristro Ram-Raider Tactics

Ram-raider goristroi charge ahead of abyssal armies, taking initial fire and climbing walls to occupy defenders while other demonic forces advance behind them, or battering their way through gates with their Wrecking Fist. If Frightened, they try to move away from any high precipices if they can, and attack whichever creatures are nearest.

If a creature is Paralyzed or Unconscious, they use their Ravenous Bite against it to gain damage resistances, otherwise switching between their Wrecking Fist and Hoof Stomp to sow as much chaos as possible. They always hit as many hostile creatures as possible with their Goring Charge, regardless of how many friendly creatures may be caught in it.

Goristro Living Siege Tactics

Living sieges act more as siege towers than as individual foes, hurling buildings, boulders, and perhaps other demons from a distance while demonic commanders survey the battle         from atop their heads, accompanied by one or two            mind-magic specialists who keep the goristro charmed                    and relatively under control.

                   They attempt to brush off any creature that does                                50 or more damage to them in a turn, and                                   use their Earthbreaker Leap only when                                                          provoked beyond the ability                                                         of their handlers to control                                                          them, typically alternating                                                  between their Titanic Stride and                                              Crater Fist when engaged in melee.

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Goristro Ram-Raider

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 310 (23d12 + 161)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	11 (+0)	25 (+7)	13 (+1)	6 (-2)	14 (+2)

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• Saving Throws STR +13, DEX +6, CON +13, WIS +4
• Skills Perception +4
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Attacks made without advantage
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 14
• Languages Abyssal
• Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

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Giant Stature. Attacks made against the goristro by a creature Attached to it have advantage, and the goristro has disadvantage on attacks it makes against creatures Attached to it.

Hard Faller. The goristro has vulnerability to damage from falling. While the goristro is within 5 feet of a precipice at least 10 feet high, it has disadvantage on saving throws against effects that would Frighten it.

Panicked Fury. While the goristro is Frightened, attacks against it are made with advantage and it cannot distinguish friend from foe.

Limited Magic Resistance. The goristro has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects that deal non-psychic damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The goristro makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Ravenous Bite, and uses its Goring Charge, if available.

Ravenous Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (3d12 + 7) piercing damage. On a critical hit, the goristro gains resistance to all damage until the beginning of its next turn.

Wrecking Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10 feet away.

This attack deals double damage to objects and structures.

Hoof Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Goring Charge (Recharge 5-6). The goristro moves up to 40 feet in a straight line and can move through the space of any creature smaller than Large.

The first time it enters a creature's space during this move, the creature must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or take 33 (6d10) piercing damage and be pushed ahead of the goristro for the rest of this move, or move to the nearest unoccupied space outside the goristro's path on a success.

Reactions

Sadistic Stomp. When a prone creature within 5 feet of it regains any hit points, the goristro can make a Hoof Stomp attack against it.

See Red (1/Day). When the goristro is reduced below 156 hit points, the goristro can immediately recharge and use its Goring Charge.

Encounter Groups

CR 24 Encounter 27,900 XP

• 1 Goristro Ram-Raider (CR 17)
• 3 Bulezau Rot-Sowers (CR 3)
• 10 Vrock Kettlers (CR M8)

CR 30+ Encounter 106,200 XP

• 1 Goristro Living Siege (CR 25)
• 1 Marilith Decimator (CR 16)
• 1 Solamith Dropshot (CR 8)
• 3 Chasme Tormentor (CR 6)
• 4 Spider Fiend Kakku (CR 2)
• 10 Chasme Plague Drone (CR M5)

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Goristro Living Siege

Gargantuan fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 30 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 592 (32d20 + 256)
• Speed 0 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
30 (+10)	9 (-1)	26 (+8)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)	14 (+2)

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• Saving Throws STR +18, DEX +7, CON +16, WIS +7
• Skills Athletics +26, Perception +7, Survival +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison; Attacks made without advantage
• Condition Immunities Petrified, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
• Languages Abyssal
• Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)

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Impossible Size. The goristro occupies a 60 foot square area of ground and is 200 feet tall. It can occupy the space of any creature smaller than Gargantuan.

Thick Skull. While the goristro is not prone, it is immune to the effects of any mind-affecting spells or abilities not controlled by a creature on its head.

Living Siege. The goristro has palisaded fortifications built into its back, shoulders, and head, sufficient to serve as a fighting platform for up to 40 medium creatures.

A creature adjacent to the goristro may spend 30 feet of movement to attempt a DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, the creature climbs onto the goristro's legs. A creature may attempt the same check to climb from the goristro's legs to its back, or from its back to its head.

• Legs. While climbing on the goristro's legs, a creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw whenever the goristro uses its Stride or fall off.

• Waist. While climbing on the goristro's waist, a creature has advantage on melee attacks against the goristro.

• Back. While climbing on the goristro's back, a creature has advantage on melee attacks against the goristro and the goristro cannot target it.

• Head. While climbing on the goristro's head, a creature has advantage on melee attacks against the goristro and on saving throws against its abilities. If a creature on the goristro's head scores a critical hit against it, the goristro falls prone at the end of its next turn.

The Bigger They Are... If the goristro falls prone, it takes 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage.

Panicked Fury. While the goristro is Frightened, attacks against it are made with advantage and it cannot distinguish friend from foe.

Limited Magic Resistance. The goristro has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects that deal non-psychic damage.

Actions

Crater Fist. The goristro swings its armored fist, striking a 10 foot radius centered on a point within 60 feet. Each creature in the area must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 65 (10d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage on a failure or moving to the nearest space outside the area on a success.

A creature may use its reaction to gain advantage on this saving throw.

Mountain Hurl. The goristro hurls a Gargantuan building or similar object up to 300 feet at a point it can see. At the beginning of the goristro's next turn, it lands.

Each creature within 15 feet of that point is knocked prone, and must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take 49 (6d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage, or half as much on a success. A creature riding on the object has advantage on this saving throw.

A creature with at least 15 Passive Perception knows precisely where the strike will land.

Titanic Stride. The goristro takes a single step, moving up to 60 feet, or standing from prone and moving up to 30 feet. Each creature within 10 feet of where it ends this movement that is not climbing on it must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 26 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone, or half as much on a success.

Earthbreaker Leap (Recharge 5-6). The goristro leaps high into the sky. At the beginning of its next turn, it lands prone in a space within 120 feet.

Each creature climbing on it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw or fall off, then each creature within 30 feet of it that is not climbing on it must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take 34 (8d10) bludgeoning plus 35 (10d6) fire damage, be pushed up to 30 feet away, and be knocked prone, or take half as much damage on a success.

Legendary Actions

The goristro can take 1 legendary action, choosing from the options below.

Stride. The goristro uses its Titanic Stride.

Brush Off. The goristro attempts to dislodge a creature climbing on it. The creature must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 32 (5d12) bludgeoning damage and be pushed up to 30 feet away.

Hezrous

---

Hezrou Goon

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 17 (2d8 + 8)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	4 (-3)	9 (-1)	13 (+1)

---

• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge M11 (720 XP)

---

Lickspittle. The hezrou follows the most recent verbal command it received since the beginning of its last turn.

If the command was given by a non-demon, the hezrou can make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw, suspending this effect until the beginning of its next turn.

Minion. If the hezrou takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the hezrou takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Actions

Frenzied Snaps (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 piercing damage.

If three or more hezrou contributed to this attack, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone and take an additional 4 piercing damage.

Hezrou Lore

Nature DC 10: While the creatures smell foul enough as is, certain hezrous have the ability to magically aerosolize their spilt blood weaponizing it into a cloud of noxious gas that only grows more potent as they suffer further injuries.
Religion DC 15: The froggish demons known as "hezrous" are among the most prized as footsoldiers within abyssal armies, due to their rare predilection toward following commands, though this capacity does not seem to extend to remembering those orders for more than a few seconds, nor to being particularly discriminating as to who those orders came from.
Religion DC 20: Demonic commanders often seek out aberrant hezrou incapable of telepathy to train as their lieutenants, deafening them prior to battle to further prevent them from coming under enemy influence.

Hezrou Tactics

Hezrou tactics are largely dependent on initiative order, as whoever goes directly before them has the opportunity to override any previous commands. Hezrous are thus nearly always deployed under the supervision of greater demons, who focus their efforts on killing any creature that manages to wrest command of the hezrous from them.

---

Hezrou Toady

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 115 (11d10 + 55)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	17 (+3)	20 (+5)	5 (-3)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)

---

• Saving Throws STR +7, CON +8, WIS +4
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing From Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

---

Lickspittle. The hezrou follows the most recent verbal command it received since the beginning of its last turn.

If the command was given by a non-demon, the hezrou may make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to negate this effect until the beginning of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The hezrou makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Shrouding Snap.

Shrouding Snap. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage.

If this attack reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the hezrou may use its reaction to belch forth a cloud of Magical Darkness in a 10 foot radius around itself that lasts for a minute.

Gloomletter Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, or 13 (2d8 + 4) necrotic damage if the hezrou is in Magical Darkness.

Reactions

Sickening Ichor. When the hezrou takes any piercing or slashing damage, it can magically cause a noxious gas to boil out from its spilt blood. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the end of the hezrou's next turn.

If the hezrou has fewer than 69 hit points, a creature that fails this saving throw must use its reaction to move 10 feet directly away from it.

---

Hezrou Hollerer

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 18 (Subdermal Armor)
• Hit Points 144 (14d10 + 70)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	17 (+3)	20 (+5)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

---

• Saving Throws STR +8, CON +8, WIS +5
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing From Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Speaks Abyssal but can't hear
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

---

Deafened. The hezrou is permanently Deafened. If cured by Lesser Restoration or similar magic, it loses this trait and gains the Lickspittle trait.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The hezrou makes three attacks with its Chaos Slam, one of which it may replace with a use of its Guard Me! or its Get in Line!

Chaos Slam. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning plus 11 (2d10) force damage, then the hezrou and each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Guard Me! Until the beginning of its next turn, while it is next to another hezrou attacks against the hollerer are made at disadvantage.

Get in Line! Each other hezrou within 30 feet that can hear the hollerer must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw.

On a failure, the hezrou's initiative is reduced by 5 if it is higher than the hollerer's.

Reactions

Sickening Ichor. When the hezrou takes any piercing or slashing damage, it can magically cause a noxious gas to boil out from its spilt blood. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the end of the hezrou's next turn.

If the hezrou has fewer than 73 hit points, a creature that fails this saving throw must use its reaction to move 10 feet directly away from it.

Incubi

Incubus Lore

History DC 10: Though incubus encounters can be brief and passing, indicated when a sleeper awakes exhausted and hollow-feeling, some incubi will linger for days or weeks, appearing night after night from the shadows whenever their prey is alone until it is left a broken shell of its former self.
Religion DC 15: While incubi are often mistaken for male succubi and may in fact share some common origin, their methods and motivations diverge wildly. Where a succubus seeks to guide mortals toward corruption and ruin as a twisted form of play, the incubus is a base predator, driven by its ravenous hunger for mortal dreams.

Incubus Atonian Tactics

While incubi usually flee if confronted by a force that outnumbers them, if forced to fight they use Sink into Earth on the nearest melee threat, then move into its space if it fails its save to apply their Crushing Terror trait, following it each turn if it tries to crawl away. In combat, they prefer to target already weakened creatures with their Steal Dreams, otherwise using it mostly outside of combat.

Incubus Ephialtes Tactics

Incubus ephialtes try first to gain control of powerful melee foe with their Waking Dream, then target it whenever available with their Incubate Fears while trying to
incapacitate as many other enemies as possible with their Night's Caress.

---

Living Nightmare

Medium aberration/fiend, chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15
• Hit Points 21 (3d8 + 9)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
7 (-2)	20 (+5)	15 (+2)	1 (-5)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)

---

• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Common
• Challenge M15 (1,300 XP)

---

Minion. If the nightmare takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the nightmare takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Fear-Born. The nightmare is immune to any damage dealt by a Frightened creature.

Actions

Rend Psyche (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 psychic damage and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the end of the nightmare's next turn.

If at least three nightmares contributed to this attack, a creature that fails this saving throw is instead Frightened for the next minute, and repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

---

Incubus Atonian

Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 71 (11d8 + 22)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	15 (+2)	8 (-1)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +5, CON +4
• Skills Deception +6, Intimidation +8, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Abyssal, Common, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, the incubus transforms into a Small or Medium humanoid without a fly speed, or back to its true fiendish form. Its statistics are otherwise the same in each form. It reverts to its humanoid form if it dies.

Crushing Terror. A creature that starts its turn prone and in the incubus' space takes 11 (2d10) nonlethal psychic damage and cannot speak, breathe or stand until the beginning of its next turn.

Actions

Night's Caress (3rd Level Spell). Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: The target falls asleep for the next minute.

A sleeping creature wakes early if a creature takes an action to shake it awake, or if it takes any damage.

Sink Into Earth (3rd Level Spell, Concentration). One creature the incubus can see within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or fall prone and be Blinded for the next minute.

If the creature stands from prone, the effect ends and the creature takes 22 (4d10) psychic damage.

Steal Dreams (4th Level Spell). One Unconscious or Blinded creature within 5 feet must make a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw.

On a failed save, the incubus learns one closely held secret of the creature's, and the creature takes 33 (6d10) nonlethal psychic damage.

A creature reduced to 0 hit points in this way is Cursed. A creature cursed in this way cannot gain levels or otherwise advance through experience. When this curse ends, the creature gains any levels prevented by the curse.

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

---

Incubus Ephialtes

Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	21 (+5)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +7, CON +6, WIS +5
• Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +11, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +10
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Abyssal, Common, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, the incubus transforms into a Small or Medium humanoid without a fly speed, or back to its true fiendish form. Its statistics are otherwise the same in each form. It reverts to its humanoid form if it dies.

Crushing Terror. A creature that starts its turn prone and in the incubus' space takes 11 (2d10) nonlethal psychic damage and cannot speak, breathe or stand until the beginning of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The incubus makes two attacks with its Night's Caress, one of which it may replace with a use of its Waking Dream or Incubate Fears, if available.

Night's Caress (3rd Level Spell). Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: The target falls asleep for the next minute.

A sleeping creature wakes early if a creature takes an action to shake it awake, or if it takes any damage.

Waking Dream (4th Level Spell, Concentration). One Unconscious creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw under the incubus' control for the next hour, or until it regains consciousness, and can perceive and take actions as though conscious for the duration.

Whenever the creature would wake, the incubus may make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a success, the creature remains Unconscious.

Incubate Fears (Recharge 5-6, 5th Level Spell). The incubus draws forth and congeals the fears of a Frightened or Unconscious creature within 5 feet, conjuring a Living Nightmare that lasts a minute in an unoccupied space within 10 feet.

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

Ixitxachitl

Black-eyed and vicious, the ray-like ixitxachitl infest the waters of Abysm and beyond, creating shrines of blood and bone to their demonic overlords in the hollowed-out husks of coral reefs. Once a colony has taken up residence in a reef, they systematically strip it of life, killing everything that moves or grows both for sport and to devote the deaths to their cruel masters, then moving on to another area to begin anew.

Ixitxachitl Lore

History DC 15: Legends tell of a race of rayfolk from the seas of elemental chaos whose creator fell to the corruption of the abyss, dragging them into its depths with him.
Nature DC 15: Full grown ixitxachitl are known to acquire vampiric tendencies, draining the vital fluids of their prey before consuming it.
Nature DC 20: Ixitxachitl tails are controlled by a separate hindbrain, and can continue to lash even while the creature is dead or unconscious.
Religion DC 15: Ixitxachitl frequently worship and build shrines to Demogorgon, who they revere as their creator.
Religion DC 20: Because of Demogorgon's long enmity with Orcus, Ixitxachitl and aquatic undead maintain a deep-seated hatred of each other, one that runs deeper even their mutual hatred of ordinary living things.

Ixitxachitl Tactics

Ixitxachitl attack from stealth, hidden buried in silt or among kelp, then cluster around a foe to better make use of their confounding circling and attempt to focus it down. They prioritize as a target any creature able to attack without disadvantage.

If a creature casts any healing magic, each ixitxachitl breaks off their current engagement to target it, regardless of attacks of opportunity.

---

Juvenile Ixitxachitl

Small fiend, chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 36 (8d6 + 8)
• Speed swim 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	7 (-2)

---

• Skills Stealth +5
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Ixitxachitl
• Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

---

Confounding Circling. While adjacent to two or more ixitxachitl, a creature has disadvantage on attacks of opportunity that target one of them.

Segmented Brain. The ixitxachitl may continue to make attacks of opportunity with its whiptail barb for up to a minute after being incapacitated or killed.

Actions

Sluggish Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage and the target's movement is reduced by 5 until the end of its next turn.

Whiptail Barb. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

---

Vampiric Ixitxachitl

Small fiend, chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Army)
• Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
• Speed swim 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	13 (+1)	7 (-2)

---

• Skills Religion +3, Stealth +7
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Ixitxachitl
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Confounding Circling. While adjacent to two or more ixitxachitl, a creature has disadvantage on attacks of opportunity that target one of them.

Segmented Brain. The ixitxachitl may continue to make attacks of opportunity with its whiptail barb for up to a minute after being incapacitated or killed.

Actions

Multiattack. The ixitxachitl makes two attacks; one with its vampiric bite and one with its whiptail sting.

Vampiric Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or lose one unexpended hit die.

If the target expends a hit die in this way, the ixitxachitl gains 10 temporary hit points.

Whiptail Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

Reactions

Bleed for the Deep Father. When a creature within 5 feet dies or fails a death saving throw, the ixitxachitl can create a searing symbol above the creature's body that lasts until the end of the ixitxachitl's next turn.

Each non-fiend creature within 30 feet that can see the symbol must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be Stunned until the end of the ixitxachitl's next turn.

Encounter Groups

CR 8 Encounter 1,450 XP

• 1 Vampiric Ixitxachitl (CR 2)
• 2 Kuo-Toa Drowner (CR 1)
• 6 Juvenile Ixitxachitl (CR 1/2)

CR 14 Encounter 4,700 XP

• 1 Grandmother Sea Hag (CR 7)
• 4 Vampiric Ixitxachitl (CR 2)

Ixzan

Thought by some to represent a common ancestor of a great many creatures of the deepest darknesses of the world, the ixzan embody a primordial link to the earliest days of creation, a view of life in the chaos that predated the material realm.

Ixzan Lore

Nature DC 20: Multiple competing theories exist as to the origin of the subterranean ixzan, but the most common names them as some of the earliest denizens of elemental chaos, the shared ancestor of numerous other modern species such as cloakers, darkmantles, ixitxachitl, lurkers, sinisters, and mantari.
Religion DC 25 While the ixzan maintain no clear records of the circumstances of their own creation, it is claimed by certain among the ixatxachitl that the ixzan were created by the demon prince Demogorgon, prior to his descent into and corruption by the abyss.

Ixzan Tactics

Ixzans out of the water drift out of reach, using their pelagic lance and rain of death whenever available. If their enemies can effectively hit them while flying, they drop into the water for cover and use their whiptail
harpoon to try to drag their foes in with
them, continuing to use their rain
of death whenever available.

---

Ixzan

Medium aberration, chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)
• Speed fly 10 ft. (hover), swim 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)

---

• Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
• Senses Blindsight 20 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Ixatxachitl
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Confounding Circling. While adjacent to two or more ixzan, a creature has disadvantage on attacks of opportunity that target one of them.

Segmented Brain. The ixzan may continue to make attacks of opportunity with its whiptail barb for up to a minute after being incapacitated or killed.

Actions

Multiattack. The ixzan makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Frenzied Bite.

Frenzied Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage and up to one other ixzan may use its reaction to make a frenzied bite attack against the same target.

Whiptail Harpoon. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing plus 7 (2d6) poison damage and the target is pulled 5 feet toward the ixzan.

Pelagic Lance. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 5 feet away.

Rain of Death (Recharge 5-6). The ixzan makes six attacks with its pelagic lance.

Reactions

Silt-Out. When it is reduced below 53 hit points while within 10 feet of a sea or lake bed, the ixzan can kick up a cloud of silt around itself, heavily obscuring the area in a 15-foot radius until the end of its next turn.

Manes

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Manes Wretch

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 9
• Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
• Speed 20 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	9 (-1)	13 (+1)	3 (-4)	8 (-1)	4 (-3)

---

• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak
• Challenge M5 (225 XP)

---

Minion. If the manes takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the manes takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Acidic Cloud. When the manes dies, it dissolves into a cloud of acrid vapor, dealing 3 acid damage to each creature within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Maddening Claws (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 slashing damage and the target has disadvantage on attacks that don't target a manes on its following turn.

Manes Tactics

Unless directed to do otherwise, manes simply mill about aimlessly, spitting and snarling at one another until violence breaks out, at which point they attack the nearest creature until no living creatures remain within 20 feet of them. If goaded by a more powerful demon, they will attempt to
follow its directions, at least as far as their Mindless Hate allows.

Vilespawn use their Panicked Charge whenever available
if they can hit at least four creatures (friend or foe) with it, and both vilespawn and mobs attempt to consume any fiend they manage to kill, often going out of their way to kill those that look near death even if enemies are present.

Manes Lore

Arcana DC 10: While all demons, in theory, can spontaneously evolve into other forms, in large enough quantities the possibility becomes a near-inevitability, as the constant scrabble for survival ensures that any loose scraps of demonic energies are consumed rather than dissipating.
History DC 15: Manes are moved by a bottomless well of indiscriminate hatred and sub-bestial intelligence, making them often more of a liability than asset in combat. Those who have been successful deploying them in the wars of the lower planes have done so by herding them like cattle into an opposing army so their mad squabbling can be the enemy's problem.
Nature DC 15: Manes dissolve violently into clouds of acid when slain, an effect which can set off a chain reaction of carnage when they are crammed in tight proximity to one another.
Religion DC 10: Manes are the lowest and weakest of all demonkind, serving primarily as a source of food and entertainment for more powerful demons. Enormous hordes of them continuously spawn from the ruined earth of the Abyss, often immediately killing one another within minutes of birth.
Religion DC 20: It is said that Orcus himself began his existence in the Abyss as a manes, though his cults seem divided on whether this is an inspiring tale of raw ambition winning out, or blasphemous slander.

---

Manes Vilespawn

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 9
• Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12)
• Speed 20 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	9 (-1)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	8 (-1)	4 (-3)

---

• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Acidic Cloud. When the manes dies, it dissolves into a cloud of acrid vapor, dealing 4 (1d8) acid damage to each creature within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The manes makes two attacks with its Maddening Claws.

Maddening Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) slashing damage and the target has disadvantage on attacks that don't target a manes on its following turn.

Panicked Charge (Recharge 4-6). The manes moves up to its speed, and may make a melee attack at disadvantage against each creature it passes within 5 feet of with this movement.

Reactions

Mindless Hate. When a creature falls prone within 5 feet of the manes, the manes must use make a Maddening Claws attack against it, if possible.

Consume Essence. When the manes kills a fiend of CR 2 or higher, it can attempt to absorb the fiend's essence, making a DC 15 Constitution saving throw.

On a success, the manes can transform into a demon of equal or lesser CR to the killed fiend with full hit points. On a failure, the manes keels over, bursts, and dies.

---

Manes Mob

Huge swarm of small fiends (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 9
• Hit Points 77 (14d6 + 28)
• Speed 20 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	8 (-1)	4 (-3)

---

• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Damage from Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Stunned.
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

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Acidic Cloud. Whenever the mob takes 10 or more damage from a single source, a cloud of acrid vapor issues forth from it, dealing 9 (2d8) acid damage to it and each other creature within 5 feet.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The mob makes two attacks with its Maddening Claws.

Maddening Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 2) slashing damage, or 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage if the mob has fewer than half its hit points, and the target has disadvantage on attacks that don't target a manes on its following turn.

Reactions

Mindless Hate. When a creature falls prone within 5 feet of the manes, the manes must use make a Maddening Claws attack against it, if possible.

Essence Frenzy. When the mob kills a fiend of CR 2 or higher, it can fall upon the fiend, thrashing in a mad frenzy to consume it.

The mob loses 28 (8d6) hit points as manes in it die in failed attempts to absorb the fiend's essence, then if the mob has any hit points remaining a demon of equal or lesser CR to the killed fiend appears in the mob's space as one of its members transforms.

Mariliths

Cruel and cunning, mariliths are feared across the fields of the blood war by demon and devil alike, both for their incredible combat prowess and their ability to cow the chaotic instincts of their demonic brethren, their conquests marked in the trophies of flesh and steel they claim from the worthiest of the fallen.

Marilith Lore

Arcana DC 20: The most powerful mariliths are renowned as accomplished battlefield summoners, able to fuel the abduction of more fiends to the battle through the deaths of those that fall in combat.
History DC 15: Though formidable warriors in their own right, mariliths' quick thinking and ability to rapidly react to changing circumstances often makes them even more dangerous at the command of a horde than on its front line.
History DC 20: Like the constrictor snakes they resemble, mariliths do not attempt to squeeze the air from their grappled victims' lungs; rather, they wait for the creature to exhale then tighten their coils so it cannot take in another breath.
Religion DC 15: Mariliths often act as commanders of abyssal armies due to the uniquely fearsome reputation
they hold among other demons. They are known for cultivating collections of battle-trophies with great
care, and often carry blades of
unsurpassed quality.
Religion DC 20: Decapitation is a marilith's favored
method of execution, and they take great pride in
their ability to cleanly take a head, often carrying with
them the scoured skulls of the conquests
they remember most fondly.

Marilith Decimator Tactics

Marilith Decimators first go for a ranged combatant in combat (ideally a spellcaster) and attack it with their Constrict, then slither into the thickest concentration of enemies to subject as many of them to its reactions as possible. Initially they focus on displaying their battle prowess by spreading their attacks around, but once reduced below half hit points start trying to focus down enemies one at a time, starting with the most formidable melee threats and beheading a foe before moving on to the next one.

Marilith Battle Tyrant Tactics

Marilith Battle Tyrants keep a horde of demonic bodies between themselves and their foes for the first portion of combat, using Spur the Horde each turn and Deflecting ranged attacks. Once a melee is joined, they lock in with the creature with the highest hit points and focus all their attacks on it, first grappling it so they can use their Overwhelm reaction. If an ally gets low on hit points, they use Heartless Summoning on it, then either kill it themself or command another demon to kill it with Spur the Horde.

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Marilith Decimator

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 273 (26d10 + 130)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	20 (+5)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)

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• Saving Throws STR +9, CON +10, WIS +8, CHA +10
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

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Reactive. The marilith regains its reaction at the beginning of each turn.

More Fearsome Than Death. If another demon within 60 feet would fail a Wisdom saving throw, the marilith can choose for it to succeed. If it does, the demon is Frightened of the marilith until the end of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The marilith makes seven melee attacks, one of which can be with its Constrict.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Instead of dealing damage, the marilith can grapple the target (escape DC 17).

Trophytaker Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.

A creature killed by this attack is beheaded.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 17).

A creature grappled in this way is restrained.

Reactions

Deflect. When it is hit with a weapon attack, the marilith can add +5 to its AC against the triggering attack.

Overwhelm. When it misses a creature it is grappling with a melee attack, the marilith can add +5 to its attack roll.

Tail Lash. When a creature enters its reach, the marilith can force the creature to succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Crush. When a creature the marilith has grappled with its Constrict speaks or casts a spell with a verbal component, the marilith can crush the air out of its lungs, causing it to immediately begin Suffocating.

Flickering Charge. When the marilith succeeds on a saving throw against a spell, the marilith can magically teleport up to 30 feet directly toward the spell's caster.

Rules Clarification. The marilith's Crush reaction triggers after the triggering spell resolves.

Rules Reminder. A suffocating creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 Hit Points and is dying, and it can’t regain Hit Points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.

Encounter Groups

CR 23 Encounter 24,500 XP

• 1 Marilith Decimator (CR 16)
• 1 Vrock (CR 6)
• 4 Hezrou (CR 5)

CR 30 Encounter 44,000 XP

• 1 Marilith Battle Tyrant (CR 20)
• 2 Tanarukk Firespeaker (CR 10)
• 2 Vrocks (CR 6)
• 8 Tanarukk Scarbearer (CR 5)

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Marilith Battle Tyrant

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 357 (34d10 + 170)
• Speed 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	21 (+5)	20 (+5)	19 (+4)	18 (+4)	23 (+6)

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• Saving Throws STR +12, CON +11, WIS +10, CHA +12
• Skills Acrobatics +11, History +10, Intimidation +18, Perception +10
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 20
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)

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Reactive. The marilith regains its reaction at the beginning of each turn.

More Fearsome Than Death. If another demon within 60 feet would fail a Wisdom saving throw, the marilith can choose for it to succeed. If it does, the demon is Frightened of the marilith until the end of its next turn.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The marilith makes seven attacks, one of which may be with its Constrict.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) slashing damage.

Instead of dealing damage, the marilith can grapple the target (escape DC 20).

Trophytaker Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) slashing damage.

A creature killed by this attack is beheaded.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 20).

A creature grappled in this way is restrained.

Spur the Horde. Up to six demons of CR 10 or below that the marilith can see each take 10 psychic damage, then each may use its reaction to move up to half its speed directly away from the marilith and make a melee attack.

Bonus Actions

Heartless Summoning (6th Level Spell, Recharge 5-6). One demon of CR 10 or below the marilith can see must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or be wreathed in runic magic. If the demon dies before the beginning of the marilith's next turn, another demon of equal or lesser CR is summoned in its space.

Reactions

Deflect. When it is hit with a weapon attack, the marilith can add +5 to its AC against the triggering attack.

Overwhelm. When the it misses a creature it is grappling with a melee attack, the marilith can add +5 to its attack roll.

Tail Lash. When a creature enters its reach, the marilith can force the creature to succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Crush. When a creature the marilith has grappled with its Constrict speaks or casts a spell with a verbal component, the marilith can crush the air out of its lungs, causing it to immediately begin Suffocating.

Flickering Charge. When the marilith succeeds on a saving throw against a spell, the marilith can magically teleport up to 30 feet directly toward the spell's caster.

Molydeus

Molydeus Lore

Arcana DC 20: The most fearsome ability of molydei is their power to evoke the abyssal might of their archdemonic patron, though they are rarely able to sustain concentration on such transformations for more than a few seconds.
History DC 15: Molydei deprived of their demonic weapons seem to go quite mad, erupting in a bestial cacaphony of barks and screams as they ignore all else in relentless pursuit of regaining their lost treasures. While theoretically exploitable, few creatures relish the idea of suffering the sustained attention of a molydeus.
Religion DC 10: Few creatures evoke such fear and hatred on the battlefields of the Blood War as molydei, despised by both devils and demons for their role in violently curbing the demonic penchant for treachery and desertion.
Religion DC 15: Artificial demons engineered for devotion to their archdemon masters and utter inability to scheme or lie, molydei could almost be called "loyal". They generally serve as the chief enforcers of their masters' will, hunting down and punishing underlings for any glint of treachery.
Religion DC 20: The serpentine head grafted to the molydeus is said to speak with the will and voice of its master, and reports all it sees and hears. If its serpentine head is slain, a molydeus soon follows it into death.

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Serpentine Overseer

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 216 (16d12 + 112)
• Speed 0 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	24 (+7)	17 (+3)	27 (+8)	24 (+7)	23 (+6)

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• Saving Throws DEX +14, INT +15
• Skills Deception +20, Perception +14, Insight +21
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Stunned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 24
• Languages All
• Challenge N/A (included in Molydeus)

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Eyes of the Master. Anything the overseer sees or hears is known to the demon lord that created it.

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

Actions

Serpent's Kiss. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) piercing plus 14 (2d6) poison damage.

If this damage reduces a creature to 0 hit points, its body begins to bloat and distend until it regains any hit points, claws and faces appearing to strain within its flesh. An affected creature that dies bursts in a spray of gore, disgorging 5 (2d4) Mane Wretches that act on its initiative.

Voice of the Master. The overseer's master speaks a dread command through it, producing one of the following effects.

• Consuming Hatred. If the molydeus can hear the overseer, the next attack it makes deals an additional 21 (6d6) fire damage on a hit.
• Power Overwhelming. If the molydeus can hear the overseer, it gains 15 temporary hit points. While it has any of these temporary hit points, attacks made by and against the molydeus have advantage.
• Might of the Black Heavens. A bolt of lightning leaps from the sky to strike a creature the overseer can see within 60 feet. The creature must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d8) lightning damage, or half as much on a success.

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Molydeus

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 351 (26d12 + 182)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
28 (+9)	22 (+6)	25 (+7)	21 (+5)	24 (+7)	24 (+7)

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• Saving Throws STR +16, CON +14, WIS +14, CHA +14
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Attacks made without advantage
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Blinded, Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Stunned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

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Bonded at Creation. A Serpentine Overseer is Attached to the molydeus, shares its space, and cannot be removed while the overseer lives.

The molydeus cannot see or take hostile action against the overseer attached to it. If its overseer is killed, the molydeus must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns or gain a level of Exhaustion.

Giant Stature. Attacks made against the molydeus by a creature Attached to it have advantage, and the molydeus has disadvantage on attacks it makes against creatures Attached to it.

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

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the molydeus fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The molydeus makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Slavering Bite.

Slavering Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) piercing damage.

Crushing Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 24).

A creature grappled in this way takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage at the end of each of its turns.

Mountain-Splitter Doomaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (6d8 + 9) slashing damage.

Each other creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and take half the attack's damage.

Each structure and unattended object within 5 feet of the target is destroyed.

Bonus Actions

Manifest Archdemon (1/Day, 9th Level Spell, Concentration). If the molydeus has fewer than half its hit points, it partially transforms until the end of its next turn, taking on a rough likeness of its archdemon patron.

While transformed, the molydeus may take any action, reaction, or legendary action listed on its patron's stat block.

Legendary Actions

The molydeus can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

Voice of the Master. If the molydeus' serpentine overseer is not dead or incapacitated, it may use its Voice of the Master.

Crushing Pulse (2nd Level Spell). Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or fall prone. Any fall damage taken as a result deals maximum damage, instead of rolling.

Cleaving Charge (Costs 2 Actions). The molydeus moves up to its speed and makes an attack with its Mountain-Splitter Doomaxe.

Serpentine Overseer Tactics

Serpentine overseers often speak for molydei in the voice of their master when encountering powerful adverseries, but otherwise simply translate the abyssal growls of the molydei for non-demonic listeners. With their action, they virtually always use their Serpent's Kiss if a creature is in their range.

When using Voice of the Master with the molydeus' legendary actions, they generally first use Consuming Hatred then Power Overwhelming, saving Might of the Black Heavens for breaking enemy concentration.

Molydeus Tactics

Molydei are aware of the overseers only as a disembodied voice, and become annoyed and agitated at the suggestion that a snake might be growing out of their head. They generally make all of their attacks with their axe unless disarmed, though may use their grasp and bite to make a show of cruelty. They use their Manifest Archdemon at the first opportunity, using the archdemon's multiattack or other non-spell ability with their action, then on the following turn using a 1/Day or Recharge spell if they maintain concentration.

Myrmyxicus

While chaos is the order of the day within the vast barrens of the Abyss, few regions are
truly masterless, instead ruled by a rotating cast of petty warlords jockeying for
position. At sea, however, a crueler
chaos reigns. Citadel-ships,
built into the skeletal husks
of impossible leviathans and crewed by
twice-damned hordes of demonic
thralls, hunt ceaselessly both above and
below the acrid waters, driven by a
hatred that seeks the final annihilation
of all things, starting with others of its kind.

Myrmyxicus Lore

Arcana DC 10: Certain demonic blades are said to
carve through magical defenses without resistance, striking directly at the essence of their target. These potent enchantments are a little-studied area of magic, however, as they rarely persist long after their original wielder's death.
History DC 15: Warlords of the abyssal seas, myrmyxicuses rule floating citadels of detritus that they sail across their territories, dominating great swathes of water while pitting armies of magically dominated demonic thralls against one another in endless skirmishes.
History DC 20: Myrmyxicus blood is occasionally traded through black market avenues in the Prime Material, as it can be distilled as a component of a pre-battle concoction that prevents soldiers from retreating.
Nature DC 15: The lower mouth of the myrmyxicus serves no role in sustaining them, existing rather as a delivery mechanism for their mutagenic venom, which gruesomely transforms affected creatures into wretched fiendish forms.
Nature DC 20: Somewhat unusually for creatures their size, the flesh of the myrmyxicus is oddly pliable and jelly-like, and slicing one in half is considered a rite of passage among balors. While their demonic constitutions allow them to survive such an injury, it does temporarily deprive
them of the use of their lower mouth.
Religion DC 20: Myrmyxicuses are thought to
be one of the earliest forms of Tanar'ri
spawned by the Abyss, their bizarre forms
shaped by the then-pervasive influence of
the obyriths.
Religion DC 15: Myrmyxicuses appear to
be mostly left alone by the greater lords of
the Abyss, being both too powerful to
easily crush and too concerned with killing
one another to be any threat to the grander designs
of the archdemons. However, this unspoken compact
does mean that much of the aquatic reaches of the Abyss are claimed by no demon lord at all, and thus relative havens for creatures too horrid and monstrous to be suffered among the rest of demonkind.

Myrmyxicus Tactics

Myrmyxicuses try to close to melee as quickly as possible, making their first attack with their Lamprey Bite, and directing their other attacks elsewhere if the bite hits. While they have a creature grappled with their bite, they use Shredling Infusion each turn until the target counts as a fiend, then use their Unholy Enthrallment on it to bring it under their control. Additionally while they have a creature grappled, they use their Billowing Breath whenever available if they can catch at 3 foes in its area.

They use Chaos Immortal on an ally that makes three or more attacks and has not yet been seriously injured, or on themselves if they are reduced below half health and still have it available. While it is active, they use as many of their legendary actions as possible on uses of their Blasphemous Scythes.

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Myrmyxicus

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 368 (32d12 + 160)
• Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover), swim 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	16 (+3)	21 (+5)	19 (+4)	18 (+4)	24 (+7)

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• Saving Throws STR +11, CON +10, CHA +13
• Skills Arcana +10, Perception +10, Survival +10
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 20
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)

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Hateful Ichor. A nonfiend creature that deals any piercing or slashing damage to the myrmyxicus is covered in its blood.

Until a creature takes an action to clear the blood, the affected creature takes 11 (2d10) psychic damage whenever it ends its turn without dealing damage.

Vulnerable Midsection. If the myrmyxicus takes 30 or more piercing or slashing damage from a single source, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw.

On a failed save, the myrmyxicus takes 27 (6d8) additional slashing damage and is cut in half, losing the ability to make attacks with its Lamprey Bite and releasing each creature grappled by it .

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

Legendary Resistances (3/Day). If the myrmyxicus fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. The myrmyxicus makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Lamprey Bite.

Lamprey Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 19).

Blasphemous Scythes. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

This attack ignores enhancements to AC from spells or magic items. Damage from this attack bypasses temporary hit points and can't be reduced in any way.

Billowing Breath (Recharge 5-6). A torrent of dense black vapor pours from the myrmyxicus' mouth in a 30 foot cone, forcing each creature in the area to make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw.

On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 28 (8d6) poison damage and is Poisoned for the next minute (Save Ends at end of turn), or takes half as much damage on a success.

While Poisoned in this way, a creature is Blinded and Choking.

Chaos Immortal (1/Day, 9th Level Spell). One allied creature the myrmyxicus can see is wreathed in foul abyssal energies for the next minute, after which it must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or be reduced to 0 hit points.

For the next minute, its melee attacks deal an additional 11 (2d10) fire and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and it does not fall unconscious when reduced to 0 hit points.

The creature makes death saving throws while at 0 hit points, even if it ordinarily would not, and regains 10 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns.

Bonus Actions

Unholy Enthrallment (4th Level Spell). One fiend or undead creature grappled by the myrmyxicus must succeed on a DC 21 Charisma saving throw or be Dominated by the myrmyxicus.

The creature repeats this saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success.

Shredling Infusion. One creature grappled by the myrmyxicus' Lamprey Bite must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw.

On a failed save, the creature's Charisma score is reduced by 2 (1d4), to a minimum of 1, and numerous boils raise and burst from its body, expelling a Ruin Demon Caricature in its space.

A creature that has its Charisma score reduced below 5 in this way counts as a fiend until the reduction ends.

Legendary Actions

The myrmyxicus can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below.

Blasphemous Scythe. The myrmyxicus makes an attack with its Blasphemous Scythes.

Breath of the Abyss (2nd Level Spell). One allied demon the myrmyxicus can see takes 15 slashing damage and a gout of burning toxic fumes emerges from its wound in a 15 foot cone.

Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) fire plus 10 (3d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.

Tendrilous Slither (Costs 2 Actions). The myrmyxicus moves up to its speed.

Each creature whose space it moves within 5 feet of must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened and Poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Nabassu

Throughout the Prime Material, cultures have developed traditions of gatewatching, setting ceremonial guards at even abandoned archways. Few remember why they do it. For those gateways lost to the memory of civilization, one often finds stone effigies standing vigil, or occasionally even simple animals instinctively guarding the gate. These efforts are not in vain. There is something that waits on the other side.

Nabassu Lore

Arcana DC 15: The gaze of a nabassu drains the life force of those who meet it, and its bite can consume the souls of those it slays, preventing resurrection by conventional means.
Arcana DC 20: The nabassu has an innate resistance to magics, and some even seem able to wrest control of rival mages' spells.
History DC 15: Gateways left intact and unattended for too long have a tendency to attract nabassus, leading to the tendency of gargoyles to stand vigil at ruined gates.
History DC 25: Nabassus are claimed to be elemental servants of Orcus that followed him into corruption, leading some to speculate that Orcus may have his origins as a Primordial.
Nature DC 10: Like all demons, the nabassu has broad resistances to conventional weaponry and the elements.
Nature DC 20: Fledgling nabassus are flung from the Abyss until they can consume enough souls to reach adulthood, usually between 20-30.
Religion DC 25: Nabassus are regarded with hatred and disgust by other demons, due to their penchant for devouring the souls of other fiends, a rare taboo in the pits of the Abyss.

Nabassu Fledgling Tactics

Nabassus preferentially attack those who avoid their Draining Gaze, grappling them into the air and dropping them, while trying to keep as many creatures affected by their Draining Gaze as possible.

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Nabassu Fledgling

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	14 (+2)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

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

Banished From the Abyss. The nabassu can treat any 20 foot or taller archway in the Abyss that is at least 20 feet as a one-way portal to a random spot on the material plane.

Draining Gaze. When a creature that can see the nabassu starts its turn within 30 feet of it, the nabassu can force it to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature expends a hit die, or takes 5 (1d10) necrotic damage if it cannot, and the nabassu gains 5 (1d10) temporary hit points.

At the beginning of its turn, a creature that isn't Surprised can avert its gaze, treating the nabassu as Invisible until the beginning of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The nabassu makes three melee attacks, one of which may be with its Devouring Bite.

Grasping Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. If this attack was made with advantage, the target is grappled (escape DC 14)

Devouring Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage.

If this attack hits a corpse that died in the last hour, the creature's soul is devoured and the corpse dissolves into putrid slime, and for the next minute the nabassu gains resistance to all damage while it has temporary hit points.

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Nabassu Death-Stealer

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 252 (24d10 + 120)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	14 (+2)	21 (+5)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)

---

• Saving Throws STR +11, DEX +7
• Skills Perception +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

---

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

Ruin Traveler. The nabassu can treat any two doorways that are at least 20 feet tall in the Abyss or Prime Material that no non-fiend creature has seen in the last 24 hours as connected.

Demonic Shadows. Non-sunlight sources of Bright Light within 120 feet of the nabassu are reduced to Dim Light.

Consuming Gaze. When a creature that can see the nabassu starts its turn within 30 feet of it, the nabassu can force it to make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature expends two hit dice, or takes 11 (2d10) necrotic damage if it cannot, and the nabassu gains 11 (2d10) temporary hit points.

At the beginning of its turn, a creature that isn't Surprised can avert its gaze, treating the nabassu as Invisible until the beginning of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The nabassu makes three melee attacks, one of which may be with its Devouring Bite.

Devouring Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage plus 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

If this attack hits a corpse that died in the last hour, the creature's soul is devoured and the corpse dissolves into putrid slime, and for the next minute the nabassu gains resistance to all damage while it has any temporary hit points.

Grasping Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

If this attack was made with advantage, the target is grappled (escape DC 19).

Unlife Exchange (Recharge 5-6). The nabassu loses all of its temporary hit points, conjuring three Shadow Stranglers in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet, each of which acts on the nabassu's initiative and has maximum hit points equal to the temporary hit points lost.

Reactions

Baleful Displacement (7th level spell). When the nabassu is targeted with a spell, it can force a creature within 30 feet to succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or teleport to switch places with the nabassu, becoming the new target of the spell.

Nabassu Death-Stealer Tactics

The nabassu death-stealer uses its Unlife Exchange whenever available, directing the Shadows it summons to attack any spellcasters while keeping its own attentions focused on the melee combatants.

When it uses its Baleful Displacement ability, it targets the nearest melee threat. Rather than dropping the foes it grapples, it uses its flight to isolate them from their melee allies, attacking them until reduced to 0 hit points and then dropping them somewhere obscured from the rest of the party (like a rooftop) to prevent them from being healed before selecting a new target.

Encounter Groups

While Fledglings are typically found alone, stirges occasionally congregate to feed on the remains of their victims. Death Stealers often have undead minions or servants of Orcus in their thrall.

CR 13 Encounter 4,375 XP

• 1 Nabassu Fledgling (CR 8)
• 2 Stirge Skullpiercers (CR 1)
• 3 Stirges (CR 1/8)

CR 22 Encounter 19,700 XP

• 1 Nabassu Death-Stealer (CR 15)
• 1 Slaughter Wight (CR 8)
• 4 Wights (CR 3)

CR 23 Encounter 17,200 XP

• 1 Nabassu Death-Stealer (CR 15)
• 2 Deathlock Wight (CR 5)
• 12 Zombies (CR 1/4)

Nalfeshnees

Nalfeshnee Lore

Arcana DC 10: While all demons have a certain resistance to conventional magics, some such as nalfeshnees take this principle still further, their durable hides blunting all but the most powerful of magical workings.
Nature DC 15: As preposterous as it might seem, the tiny, malformed wings of nalfeshnees do appear to play an integral role in their flight, making them vulnerable to falling if their flight is disturbed.
Religion DC 15: The porcine nalfeshnee are often described by denizens of more lawful regions of the multiverse as judges and generals of the Abyss, but their role is much more nuanced than that might imply; while they are often sought to mediate disputes between demons, the plaintiffs are under no obligation to abide by their judgements, and the only enforcement mechanism of their courts is their own propensity to consume those they have judged against. Relgion DC 20: Among all demonkind, nalfeshnees are often thought to be the most honest, as their full surface thoughts are on view for any they telepathically communicate with. Because of this, they are prized as powerful subordinates, as their betrayals are trivialy easy to predict and subvert. Though some take the effort to learn to mask or subdue some of their surface thoughts, many nalfeshnees weaponize this open-mindedness, radiating raw hostility and ravenous hunger toward any who meet their gaze.

Nalfeshnee Courts. Demonic courts are, first and foremost, a spectacle for the entertainment of the participants and audience, in which the presiding nalfeshnee's judgement is likely to go to whichever side delivers the most devastating insults, last-minute surprise witnesses, and outlandishly fabricated evidence.

Violence between plaintiffs is allowed and encouraged, but only within the strictures of a vague etiquette determined by the crowd's and judge's current level of interest and attention, and fights are expected to resolve or break up within a few seconds so the trial can continue.

While participants usually are present under some form of duress, they are still expected to have fun with the process. Nalfeshnees are frequently known to deliver summary judgements against those whose moping brings down the court's mood.

These trials are best run as skill challenges, where each piece of evidence, witness, or legal citation must be responded to by the party with a relevant skill check, spell, or other action, with a set number of successes being achieved before a set number of failures leading to a favorable judgement, and particularly high or low rolls opening opportunities for violence and other skulduggery.

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Nalfeshnee Glutton

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 184 (16d10 + 96)
• Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	15 (+2)	22 (+6)	19 (+4)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)

---

• Saving Throws CON +11, INT +9, WIS +6, CHA +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

---

Spell-Resistant Hide. The nalfeshnee has resistance to damage from spells of 4th level or below, and has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Hungry Gaze. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the nalfeshnee that can see it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the beginning of its next turn.

While Frightened in this way, a creature can sense the nalfeshnee's surface thoughts and emotions.

Actions

Multiattack. The nalfeshnee makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Ravenous Bite.

Ravenous Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (5d10 + 5) piercing damage.

This attack scores a critical on an 18-20 against a prone creature.

Grasping Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6 + 5) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 18).

Consume Fear (Recharge 5-6). The nalfeshnee tears the fear from a Frightened creature within 5 feet, forcing it to succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 73 (6d10 + 40) psychic damage and cease being Frightened, or take half as much damage on a success.

A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more has its movement speed reduced by half and it can’t make more than one attack until the end of its next turn.

Reactions

Reckless Greed. When a creature fails a saving throw against the nalfeshnee's Hungry Gaze by 5 or more, the nalfeshnee can move up to 10 feet toward the creature and make a Ravenous Bite attack against it.

If it does, attacks against the nalfeshnee have advantage until the beginning of its next turn.

Horrific Apparition. When the nalfeshnee is hit with a ranged attack, it can teleport up to 120 feet directly toward the attacker to an unoccupied space it can see.

Then, each creature within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone.

Nalfeshnee Glutton Tactics

Nalfeshnee gluttons approach from the air, waiting until foes are engaged in melee before swooping into the midst of them, trying to affect as many non-demon creatures as possible with their Hungry Gaze. If a Frightened target is available, they use Consume Fear whenever possible. They usually reserve their reaction for Reckless Greed, but will use
their Horrific Apparition either to escape a
melee that has turned against them, or to
teleport into Gaze range of at least two ranged
attackers.

Nalfeshnee Magistrate

Magistrates' primary role in combat is to shore up the
major weakness of larger demonic forces, their
tendency toward infighting, by killing and eating a weak demon such as a Mane or Dretch each turn, thereby frightening their subordinates into briefly following their commands. They use their Horrific Apparition much more aggressively than gorgers, both to corner vulnerable ranged attackers that are separated from their allies and to drop out from underneath any creatures attempting to climb on them.

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Nalfeshnee Magistrate

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 18 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 230 (20d10 + 120)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	15 (+2)	23 (+6)	21 (+5)	12 (+1)	20 (+5)

---

• Saving Throws CON +12, INT +11, WIS +7, CHA +11
• Damage Resistances Attacks made without advantage, Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
• Senses Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

---

Spell Resistant Hide. The nalfeshnee has resistance to damage from spells of sixth level or below. It has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Hungry Gaze. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the nalfeshnee that can see it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the beginning of its next turn.

While Frightened in this way, a creature can sense the nalfeshnee's surface thoughts and emotions.

Fate of the Faithless. Whenever the nalfeshnee kills a demon, it may shout a magically empowered command. Each other demon that can hear it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or follow that command until the beginning of the nalfeshnee's next turn.

Giant Stature. Attacks made against the nalfeshnee by a creature Attached to it have advantage, and the nalfeshnee has disadvantage on attacks it makes against creatures Attached to it.

Actions

Multiattack. The nalfeshnee makes three attacks, one of which may be with its bite.

Ravenous Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (6d10 + 7) piercing damage. This attack scores a critical on an 18-20 against a prone creature.

Claw Smash. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 7) slashing damage and the target is pushed 10 feet away.

Each other creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take half the attack's damage.

Consume Fear (Recharge 5-6). The nalfeshnee tears the fear from a Frightened creature within 15 feet, forcing it to succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or take 93 (6d10 + 60) psychic damage and cease being Frightened, or take half as much damage on a success.

A creature that fails this saving throw by 5 or more has its movement speed reduced by half and it can’t make more than one attack until the end of its next turn.

Reactions

Reckless Greed. When a creature fails a saving throw against the nalfeshnee's Hungry Gaze by 5 or more, the nalfeshnee can move up to 10 feet toward the creature and make a Ravenous Bite attack against it.

If it does, attacks against the nalfeshnee have advantage until the beginning of its next turn.

Horrific Apparition. When the nalfeshnee is hit with a ranged attack, it can teleport up to 120 feet directly toward the attacker to an unoccupied space it can see.

Then, each creature within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone.

Judge Worthy. When a Frightened non-fiend creature the nalfeshnee can see within 60 feet dies, the nalfeshnee can force it to succeed on a DC 19 Charisma saving throw or transform into a demon of CR 5 or lower.

Quasits

Quasit Lore

Arcana DC 15: Quasits can be among the most useful of familiars to those who manage to enlist them, with the strenuous caveats that they often undermine the desires of their summoners and, though easily tricked into compacts, freely subvert or outright disregard past agreements.

Keeping one as a familiar is a constant challenge to the creativity of a mage, who must present each task as ultimately in service of some convoluted, chaotic mischief or else risk betrayal.

Quasit Tactics

Quasit bogeys typically begin combat invisible, using their Jump Scare on the first turn of combat, then alternating between attacks with their Sticky Claws and using their Invisibility to escape the ire of their targets.

Quasit pests use their Irritating Toxin on the first turn of combat, afterwards closing to melee and attacking until targeted, then fleeing with their Verminous Skitter, after which they usually choose a new target.

Quasit megalomaniacs typically ride upon their summoners, or on the largest member of the party, directing it by yanking on its hair and ears as it shouts with its Mastermind's Command. It uses Protect Me, Mount! whenever targeted, and Demonic Benediction only if it is currently friendly with its mount.

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Quasit Bogey

Tiny fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 7 (3d4)
• Speed 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
5 (-3)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

---

• Skills Intimidation +2, Stealth +5
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages Abyssal, Common
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a Bonus Action, the quasit can transform into a form resembling any beast, or back into its true form. Its size and statistics are the same in each form, except that it gains a fly, climb, or swim speed equal to its movement speed if appropriate to the form.

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

Actions

Sticky Claws (Bite in Beast Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

This attack has advantage if it targets a Frightened creature.

Invisibility (Concentration). The quasit magically turns Invisible until it attacks or uses its Scare.

Jump Scare (Recharge 6). One creature the quasit can see within 20 feet feet must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened until the end of the quasit's next turn and drop one item it is holding of the quasit's choice.

Reactions

Panicked Hiss. When a creature targets the quasit with a melee attack while the quasit is Invisible, the quasit can immediately recharge and use its Jump Scare.

If it does, the quasit is Frightened of the target until the end of its next turn.

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Quasit Pest

Tiny fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 7 (3d4)
• Speed 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)

---

• Skills Deception +2, Stealth +5
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Common
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a Bonus Action, the quasit can transform into a form resembling any beast, or back into its true form. Its size and statistics are the same in each form, except that it gains a fly, climb, or swim speed equal to its movement speed if appropriate to the form.

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

Actions

Sticky Claws (Bite in Beast Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

This attack has advantage if it targets a Frightened creature.

Irritating Toxin (Recharges on a Short or Long Rest). The quasit secretes an itch-inducing toxin from glands near its shoulders and rubs it over its claws.

For the next minute, a creature hit by the quasit's Sticky Claws subtracts 1d4 from attack rolls and saving throws it makes until the beginning of the quasit's next turn.

Reactions

Verminous Skitter. When a creature targets the quasit with a melee attack, the quasit can use its Shapechanger ability and move up to 10 feet without provoking attacks of opportunity.

The attacker must choose a new target or lose the attack.

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Quasit Megalomaniac

Tiny fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
• Speed 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
5 (-3)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	9 (-1)	8 (-1)	13 (+1)

---

• Skills Deception +3, Persuasion +3, Stealth +5
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 9
• Languages Abyssal, Common
• Challenge 1 (200 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a Bonus Action, the quasit can transform into a form resembling any beast, or back into its true form. Its size and statistics are the same in each form, except that it gains a fly, climb, or swim speed equal to its movement speed if appropriate to the form.

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

Actions

Sticky Claws (Bite in Beast Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

This attack has advantage if it targets a Frightened creature.

Mastermind's Command. The quasit chooses a creature it can see within 30 feet and shouts a shrill command.

The first attack made against that creature before the beginning of the quasit's next turn has advantage.

Reactions

Protect Me, Mount!. When the quasit is targeted with a melee attack while riding on a Medium or larger creature, it can change the attack's target to its mount.

Demonic Benediction (1/Day). When a creature it is riding on makes a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, the quasit can grant the creature advantage on the saving throw.

Solamiths

Solamith Lore

Religion DC 15: Solamiths are the bane of devil and demon alike on the battlefields of the Blood War, living demonic artillery that bombard friend and foe indiscriminately. Infernal armies often deploy gelugons to harass batteries of solamiths, due to their lack of the typical fiendish resistance to cold temperatures.
Religion DC 20: Solamith bodies act as fleshy prisons for the souls of those whose corpses they consume, preventing any form of resurrection for their victims until the solamith is torn asunder, explosively releasing the burning souls within.

Solamith Tactics

Solamiths use their Lob Flesh each turn, targeting the densest cluster of enemies regardless of any allies in the area. While they have more than half their hit points, they spend their hit points as fast as possible, first prioritizing increasing the radius to hit more enemies, then increasing the damage. Once reduced below half hit points, solamith dropshots spend only the minimum amount of hit points for each Lob Flesh, and Redgaffers begin using their Call of the Damned to stun and then Swallow Whole other demons around them. If they can't hit at least two enemies with their lob flesh, they close to melee and start using their Heavy Slam.

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Solamith Dropshot

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)	7 (-3)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws CON +8, CHA +2
• Damage Resistances Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

---

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

Soulfire. Damage dealt by the solamith to other fiends ignores resistance to fire damage, and treats immunity to fire damage as resistance.

Actions

Heavy Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10 feet away.

Lob Flesh. The solamith tears off a chunk of its own flesh and hurls it to a point it can see within 60 feet where it explodes in a 20 foot radius of soulfire.

The solamith loses 5 hit points, and each creature in the explosion's area must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (4d6) fire damage and be knocked prone, or take half as much damage on a success.

The solamith may choose to lose up to 15 additional hit points when it uses this ability. For each 5 hit points it loses in this way, it adds one additional effect of its choice:

• The explosion's radius increases by 10 feet.
• The explosion's damage increases by 1d6.

Reactions

Soulfire Eruption. When the solamith takes 15 or more damage from a melee attack, it can release a gout of soulfire from the wound, dealing 7 (2d6) fire damage to the attacker.

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Solamith Redgaffer

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 264 (23d10 + 138)
• Speed 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	23 (+6)	7 (-3)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws CON +11, WIS +6, CHA +4
• Damage Resistances Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

---

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

Soulfire. Damage dealt by the solamith to other fiends ignores resistance to fire damage, and treats immunity to fire damage as resistance.

Spiteful Detonation. When the solamith is reduced to 0 hit points, its body begins to bloat and glow with a terrible red light. At the beginning of its next turn, its corpse explodes.

Each creature within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 28 (8d6) fire damage, or take half as much damage on a success.

Actions

Multiattack. The solamith makes three melee attacks or uses its Lob Flesh twice, then may use its Swallow Whole, if available.

Heavy Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 10 feet away.

Lob Flesh. The solamith tears off a chunk of its own flesh and hurls it to a point it can see within 60 feet where it explodes in a 20 foot radius of soulfire.

The solamith loses 5 hit points, and each creature in the explosion's area must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (4d6) fire damage and be knocked prone, or take half as much damage on a success.

The solamith may choose to lose up to 15 additional hit points when it uses this ability. For each 5 hit points it loses in this way, it adds one additional effect of its choice:

• The explosion's radius increases by 10 feet.
• The explosion's damage increases by 1d6.

Swallow Whole (Recharge 5-6). The solamith begins to swallow a Medium or smaller creature within 10 feet that is dead or Incapacitated.

At the beginning of the solamith's next turn, the target is swallowed and dies, becoming a face in the solamith's belly, and the solamith regains hit points equal to half the target's hit point maximum.

This action is disrupted if the solamith is knocked prone or takes any cold damage.

Reactions

Soulfire Eruption. When the solamith takes 15 or more damage from a melee attack, it can release a gout of soulfire from the wound, dealing 7 (2d6) fire damage to the attacker.

Call of the Damned. When the solamith loses 10 or more hit points from its Lob Flesh ability, it can force one demon within 20 feet of it to succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be magically Stunned until the end of the solamith's next turn.

Spyder Fiends

Spyder Fiend Lore

History DC 15: Spyder fiends are known as deeply jealous hunters, and are typically unwilling to accept aid or cooperate in any way for fear their kill will be stolen by an ally.
Nature DC 10: The odd, humanlike arms of some spyder fiends are made even odder by their ability to retract into hidden pockets within their cephalothorax, where they also often store hidden weapons.
Nature DC 15: The carapace of tougher spyder fiends is as tough as steel, but noticeably more brittle, vulnerable to
being cracked by a heavy strike.
Religion DC 15: Spyder fiends are a rarer form of
demon, once seen only in the Steaming Fen of the
Abyss, where they toiled in service of Miska the
Wolf Spider, and later the Queen of Chaos.
Religion DC 20: In the years of his imprisonment
and her apparent dormancy, however, spyder fiends
have been encountered throughout the Abyss and
have even incurred upon the Prime Material at times, prompting the question as to whether they have slipped her leash, or if this is part of some deeper scheme.

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Spyder Fiend Kakku

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	5 (-3)	12 (+1)	4 (-3)

---

• Skills Athletics +4, Stealth +6
• Damage Resistances Acid, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages Telepathy 120 ft., but speaks only in snarls and barks
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Spider Climb. The fiend can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across webs, without penalty.

Silk Dragline. The fiend falls only when it wishes to. This trait is suspended until the beginning of its next turn if the fiend is pushed or knocked prone.

Jealous Hunter. The fiend has advantage on attacks that target a creature with no other hostile creatures within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The fiend makes two attacks, one of which can be with its Snarling Bite.

Snarling Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

A creature that fails the initial saving throw by 5 or more falls Unconscious for the same duration.

Legs. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hits: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.

Sticky Globule. The fiend swings a sticky globule of invisible webbing beneath it. One creature within 60 feet that is directly beneath the fiend must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 12).

A creature grappled in this way is dragged 15 feet toward the fiend at the beginning of each of the fiend's turns. The web can be attacked (AC 20; 10 hit points; immunity to poison and psychic damage).

Bonus Actions

Web Bind. The fiend attempts to wrap a grappled or prone creature within 5 feet in webbing, forcing it to succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be restrained (escape DC 12).

If the target is Small or smaller, the fiend can attach the creature to its back as part of this action.

Reactions

Dominance Contest. When another demon ends its movement within 5 feet of the fiend, the fiend can make a Snarling Bite attack against it.

On a hit, the target must use any remaining movement to move directly away from the fiend, if possible.

Spyder Fiend Kakku Tactics

If in a group of fiends that outnumbers its enemies, kakkus dash to reach their prey first, and attempt to body-block anyone from following them if possible by choking narrow passageways with their large abdomens, and use their Dominance Contest reaction at every opportunity.

If others reach their intended prey first, they climb up to a high surface and attempt to pull their prey away with a
sticky globule. If they manage to Bind a creature, they abscond with it to a hidden alcove away from the sight
of other fiends before attempting to kill and devour it.

If the fiend's allies do not outnumber its enemies, it
simply prioritizes unengaged foes as targets.

Spyder Fiend Spithriku Tactics

Spithrikus behave much as kakkus, though if each foe is engaged before they reach combat they will attempt to grapple a creature with their legs and drag it to seclusion. Their preferred tactic is setting ambushes on cliff faces, using their Web Blast to knock creatures to their death, then leaping down with their silk dragline to finish them off before other fiends can reach them.

---

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Spyder Fiend Spithriku

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	4 (-3)

---

• Skills Athletics +5, Stealth +6
• Damage Resistances Acid, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 30 ft., Darkvision 90 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages Telepathy 120 ft., but speaks only in snarls and barks
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

---

Web-Dweller. The fiend can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across webs, without penalty.

Silk Dragline. The fiend falls only when it wishes to. This trait is suspended until the beginning of its next turn if the fiend is pushed or knocked prone.

Jealous Hunter. The fiend has advantage on attacks that target a creature with no other hostile creatures within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The fiend makes two attacks, one of which may be with its bite.

Snarling Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

A creature that fails the initial saving throw by 5 or more falls Unconscious for the same duration.

Legs. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hits: 7 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the fiend may grapple the target (escape DC 13)

Web Blast (Recharge 6). The fiend unleashes a burst of invisible, nonsticky webs in a 30 foot cone. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone, and the area becomes difficult terrain.

Bonus Actions

Web Bind. The fiend attempts to wrap a grappled or prone creature within 5 feet in webbing, forcing it to succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be restrained (escape DC 13).

If the target is Small or smaller, the fiend can attach the creature to its back as part of this action.

Reactions

Dominance Contest. When another demon ends its movement within 5 feet of the fiend, the fiend can make a Snarling Bite attack against it.

On a hit, the target must use any remaining movement to move directly away from the fiend, if possible.

Spyder Fiend Phisarazu Tactics

Phisarazus behave much as kakkus do, though rather than rushing to meet foes immediately they wait until combat is joined, then use their Iridescent Web Blast to hit friend and foe alike, then when another fiend is near death they finish it off with an attack from behind, then try to kill its former opponent.

Spyder Fiend Lycosidilith Tactics

Lycosidiliths behave much as spithrikus do, but otherwise tend to open with their Web Blast, then immediately scuttle in in and try to Bind a creature and attach it to their back, afterwards fending off any who try to take it with their Greataxe and targeting the bound creature with their Necrotizing Bite.

They never use their Predatory Shift to retreat, instead using it to reach and attack the weakest and most vulnerable foe.

---

---

Spyder Fiend Phisarazu

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	8 (-1)	11 (+0)	4 (-3)

---

• Skills Athletics +5, Stealth +7
• Damage Resistances Acid, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 40 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Spider Climb. The fiend can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across webs, without penalty.

Jealous Hunter. The fiend has advantage on attacks that target a creature with no other hostile creatures within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The fiend makes three attacks, one of which can be with its Snarling Bite.

Snarling Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

A creature that fails the initial saving throw by 5 or more falls Unconscious for the same duration.

Scimitars. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hits: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Iridescent Web Blast (Recharge 5-6). A tangle of glowing webs bursts forth from the fiend's spinnerets in a 30 foot cone.

The area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in glowing webs.

Until a creature removes them as an action, a creature covered in these webs gains no benefit from being Invisible, and attacks against it have advantage.

Bonus Actions

Scuttling Guise (Concentration). The fiend takes on the illusory appearance of a Medium or Large humanoid, spider, crab, or drider.

Web Bind. The fiend attempts to wrap a grappled or prone creature within 5 feet in webbing, forcing it to succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained (escape DC 15).

If the target is Medium or smaller, the fiend can attach the creature to its back as part of this action.

Reactions

Dominance Contest. When another demon ends its movement within 5 feet of the fiend, the fiend can make a Snarling Bite attack against it.

On a hit, the target must use any remaining movement to move directly away from the fiend, if possible.

Predatory Shift (1/Day). When the fiend is reduced below 60 hit points, it can turn Invisible until the end of its next turn or until it makes an attack, then teleport up to 30 feet to a location it can see.

---

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Spyder Fiend Lycosidilith

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor), 13 While Reduced
• Hit Points 127 (15d10 + 45)
• Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	8 (-1)	11 (+0)	13 (+1)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +6
• Skills Athletics +7, Deception +7, Stealth +9
• Damage Resistances Acid, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 40 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages All, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

---

Brittle Carapace. If the fiend takes 15 or more bludgeoning damage from a single source, its AC is reduced to 13 until it completes a Short or Long Rest.

Spider Climb. The fiend can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across webs, without penalty.

Jealous Hunter. The fiend has advantage on attacks that target a creature with no other hostile creatures within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The fiend makes two attacks, one of which can be with its Necrotizing Bite.

Necrotizing Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute (Save Ends at end of turn).

A creature that fails the initial saving throw by 5 or more falls Unconscious for the same duration and is infected with Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hits: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.

Web Blast (Recharge 5-6). A tangle of invisible, nonsticky silk bursts forth from the fiend's spinnerets in a 30 foot cone.

The area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Bonus Actions

Scuttling Guise (Concentration). The fiend takes on the illusory appearance of a Medium or Large humanoid, spider, crab, or drider.

Web Bind. The fiend attempts to wrap a grappled or prone creature within 5 feet in webbing, forcing it to succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained (escape DC 15).

If the target is Medium or smaller, the fiend can attach the creature to its back as part of this action.

Reactions

Dominance Contest. When another demon ends its movement within 5 feet of the fiend, the fiend can make a Necrotizing Bite attack against it.

On a hit, the target must use any remaining movement to move directly away from the fiend, if possible.

Predatory Shift (1/Day). When the fiend is reduced below 64 hit points, it can turn Invisible until the end of its next turn or until it makes an attack, then teleport up to 30 feet to a location it can see.

Necrotizing Fasciitis. A creature infected with necrotizing fasciitis develops a festering sore at the site of a wound.

At each dawn, an infected creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have its hit point maximum reduced by 11 (2d10), or ending the effect on a success.

A creature that has its current hit point maximum reduced by more than half in this way loses the use of the limb closest to the wound.

Spyder Fiend Raklupis Tactics

Raklupises behave much as Phisarazus do, though after using their Irredescent Web Blast they typically stay at range, hurling venom globes into the melee and darting into the
fray only to Bind a fallen creature. If a foe drops to 0 hit points, the raklupis tries quickly to snatch it away before
any other fiend can eat it, attacking friend and foe
alike to protect its meal.

---

---

Spyder Fiend Raklupis

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor), 13 While Reduced
• Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64)
• Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	17 (+3)	18 (+4)	8 (-1)	11 (+0)	18 (+4)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +6, CON +7
• Skills Athletics +8, Deception +10, Stealth +9
• Damage Resistances Acid, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Fire, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Blindsight 40 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Languages All, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

---

Brittle Carapace. If the fiend takes 15 or more bludgeoning damage from a single source, its AC is reduced to 13 until it completes a Short or Long Rest.

Spider Climb. The fiend can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings and across webs, without penalty.

Jealous Hunter. The fiend has advantage on attacks that target a creature with no other hostile creatures within 5 feet of it.

Actions

Multiattack. The fiend makes three attacks, one of which can be with its Rotsleep Bite.

Rotsleep Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or fall Unconscious for 1 minute and be infected with Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hits: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.

Venom Globe. The fiends excretes a globule of venom and flings it at a point it can see within 60 feet, where it bursts in a 15 foot radius.

Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 17 (5d6) poison damage and be unable to speak intelligibly or cast spells until the end of the fiend's next turn, or take half as much damage on a success.

Bonus Actions

Scuttling Guise (Concentration). The fiend takes on the illusory appearance of a Medium or Large humanoid, spider, crab, or drider.

Web Bind. The fiend attempts to wrap a grappled or prone creature within 5 feet in webbing, forcing it to succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be restrained (escape DC 16).

If the target is Medium or smaller, the fiend can attach the creature to its back as part of this action.

Iridescent Web Blast (Recharge 5-6). A tangle of glowing webs bursts forth from the fiend's spinnerets in a 30 foot cone.

The area becomes difficult terrain, and each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in glowing webs.

Until a creature removes them as an action, a creature covered in these webs gains no benefit from being Invisible, and attacks against it have advantage.

Reactions

Dominance Contest. When another demon ends its movement within 5 feet of the fiend, the fiend can make a Rotsleep Bite attack against it.

On a hit, the target must use any remaining movement to move directly away from the fiend, if possible.

Predatory Shift (1/Day). When the fiend is reduced below 77 hit points, it can turn Invisible until the end of its next turn or until it makes an attack, then teleport up to 30 feet to a location it can see.

Succubi

Succubus Lore

Arcana DC 15: Among those clergy and scholars studied in the abyssal arts, discussing the origin of succubi is something of a taboo, as for whatever reason passions on the topic run extraordinarily high and it is common for the arguments it provokes to come to blows.
Arcana DC 20: A multiplicity of theories as to the origin of succubi prevail, each of which accompanied by treatises declaring incontrovertible proof that they are corrupted yet redeemable angels of love, nymphs of the Abyss, dreams released from their dreamers by abyssal radiation, or any of a dozen other theories.
History DC 15: Succubi craft every part of their presentation and approach to the desires and weaknesses of their intended prey, often taking by surprise those whose image of the succubus is limited to a shapely female sex pest.
History DC 20: While the charms of most succubi can be disrupted by a sudden shock to either the fiend or her victim, some can require more arcane interventions.
Religion DC 10: Succubi are deeply insidious creatures, with an astounding ability to suss out a mortal's weaknesses, insecurities and pain points, offering an intoxicating cocktail of validation, approval, and affection as they guide their prey toward ruin, eating away at their higher selves until only the most demonic of their attitudes and impulses remain.
Religion DC 15: The dream visitations of a succubus are no easy thing to detect, and even more difficult to ward against. The afflicted often are known to sleepwalk, present with inexplicable scratches, and feel a vague reluctance to enter consecrated grounds, yet none of these are definitive. In any case, until such a fiend reveals itself, no better remedy is known than pious and ascetic self-reflection.

Dream Visitations. Succubi are able to view and sculpt the dreams of nearby sleeping creatures, and can even do so across the Border Ethereal. They will often do so to plant seeds of hubris and recklessness in prospective prey, while drawing forth faces and forms to later cloak themselves in with their Shapechanger feature.

Succubus Visitor Tactics

Succubus visitors choose a particular target and approach combat with the goal of charming it and then avoiding reprisals with a combination of Etherealness and stealth, using their Compel each turn to have the creature either fight its allies or flee from them to a secluded location where the succubus can use its Draining Kiss.

Succubus Castle-Toppler Tactics

Castle-Topplers travel always with a retinue of charmed creatures, and use their Barbed Command each turn until one of their companions falls, following up with their Devouring Charm against whichever foe seems strongest to replace her fallen thrall.

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Succubus Visitor

Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	17 (+3)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	20 (+5)

---

• Skills Deception +9, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +9, Stealth +7
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages Abyssal, Common, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, the succubus transforms into a Small or Medium humanoid without a fly speed, or back to its true fiendish form. Its statistics are otherwise the same in each form.

Telepathic Bond. The fiend can communicate with a creature Charmed by it over any distance.

Slink Away. While it has fewer than 34 hit points, the fiend can Disengage or Hide as a bonus action.

Actions

Profane Claw (Fiend Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage and the target makes Wisdom saving throws at disadvantage until the end of the succubus' next turn.

Compel. One creature charmed by the succubus must use its reaction to move up to half its speed and make a weapon attack.

Enticing Charm (Concentration). One humanoid the succubus can see within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be magically Dominated by the succubus.

When this effect ends, the creature takes 33 (6d10) psychic damage and becomes immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

Draining Kiss. One Dominated or willing creature within 5 feet of the succubus must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or lose two unexpended hit dice.

If it cannot, the creature falls fully under the succubus's sway, and the succubus no longer requires concentration to maintain its Enticing Charm on the creature.

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

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Succubus Castle-Toppler

Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	19 (+4)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	23 (+6)

---

• Skills Deception +12, Insight +8, Perception +8, Performance +12, Persuasion +12
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages Abyssal, Common, Telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

---

Shapechanger. As a bonus action, the succubus transforms into a Small or Medium humanoid without a fly speed, or back to its true fiendish form. Its statistics are otherwise the same in each form.

Telepathic Bond. The fiend can communicate with a creature Charmed by it over any distance.

Untouchable Poise. Attacks made against the succubus do not add the attacker's proficiency bonus.

Actions

Barbed Command. Up to two creatures Charmed by the succubus each take 16 (3d10) psychic damage, then must use their reaction to move up to their speed and take an Action.

Devouring Charm. One humanoid the succubus can see within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically Dominated by the succubus.

At the beginning of each of its turns, if the Dominated creature has any unexpended hit dice it repeats this saving throw, losing three unexpended hit dice on a failure or ending the effect on a success.

When this effect ends, the creature takes 33 (6d10) psychic damage and becomes immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.

Reactions

Withering Glare. When a creature the succubus can see targets it with an attack or harmful spell, the succubus' eyes flash with power and disdain.

The attacker must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone and have the triggering attack or spell fail.

Vrocks

Among the already manic tapestry of demonkind, vrocks stand out as particularly mercurial and selfish to the point of self-destruction, the mad cackling of their aerial assaults striking fear into the hearts of friend and foe alike. It is rare for any vrock to have fewer than three secret schemes or planned betrayals in the works at any given time, and generals of the blood war are often known to manufacture nested chains of conspiracies to enlist their vrock soldiers in to temporarily satiate and redirect their lust for betrayal.

Vrock Lore

Arcana DC 15: While on the whole being dreadfully dull-witted, certain vrocks do appear to have an innate talent for a unique sort of magic, able to call down ruinous lightning storms and rain down poisonous oil from high above their foes.
History DC 15: Vrocks frequently switch allegiances mid-combat if they're losing, or if they're winning and want to reserve more of the battle-glory for themselves, or if they simply see an opportunity to avenge some imagined wrong in the chaos of combat.

While their notorious disloyalty garners a healthy degree of suspicion from their allies, their well-earned reputation for incompetence can occasionally lure victims into a false sense of security.
Nature DC 20: Unlike true vultures, whose meticulous hygiene regimens and powerful stomach acids mitigate the health hazards of their carrion-feeding lifestyle, vrocks revel in filth, weaponizing the demonic, tick-like parasites that accumulate in their matted feathers.
Religion DC 10: Vrocks can be found all throughout the infinite layers of the Abyss in service of each of the major powers, often even serving masters beyond the realm of the pit, though never for long.

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Vrock Kettler

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	11 (+0)	16 (+3)	6 (-2)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)

---

• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal
• Challenge M17 (1,800 XP)

---

Minion. If the vrock takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the vrock takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Winds of Conflict. A non-vrock creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of 3 or more vrock kettlers must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 3 bludgeoning damage and be pushed up to 10 feet toward the nearest non-vrock creature.

Actions

Flocking Rake (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 slashing damage.

If at least two other vrocks added to this attack, attacks of opportunity the target makes this turn have disadvantage.

Vrock Kettler Tactics

Kettlers circle around fights between other creatures, pushing them into melee with one another with their Winds of conflict, and swooping down in groups of three to five to swarm any who stray too far from the melee, or those who seem to be severely injured, then taking wing to end their turn out of reach of melee attackers.

When fewer than three of them remain, kettlers will typically flee, or attempt to switch sides if their allies seem close to defeat.

---

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Vrock Schemer

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 104 (11d10 + 44)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	8 (-1)	13 (+1)	8 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +5, WIS +4, CHA +2
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

---

Fleshgorger Rampage. When the vrock reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the vrock gains 11 (2d10) temporary hit points.

If the creature was a demon, the vrock instead gains twice as many temporary hit points and can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make an attack with its Serrated Beak.

Inevitable Betrayal. The vrock has advantage on the first attack it makes each turn against an allied creature.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The vrock makes two attacks, one of which may be with its Serrated Beak.

Serrated Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) piercing damage.

This attack scores a critical on an 18-20.

Gnarled Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) slashing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be Blinded until the beginning of its next turn.

Stunning Screech (1/Day). The vrock emits a horrific screech. Each other creature within 20 feet of it that can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of the vrock's next turn.

Reactions

Fiendripper Mites. When the vrock is hit with a melee attack, it can scatter a hail of venomous, biting parasites from its feathers, covering the attacker.

Until a creature takes an action to remove them, the creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns or take 5 (1d10) poison damage and be Poisoned until the start of its next turn.

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Vrock Desecrator

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

---

• Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 199 (21d10 + 84)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	17 (+3)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	8 (-1)

---

• Saving Throws DEX +7, CON +8, WIS +7, CHA +3
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

---

Fleshgorger Rampage. When the vrock reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the vrock gains 11 (2d10) temporary hit points.

If the creature was a demon, the vrock instead gains twice as many temporary hit points and can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make an attack with its Burning Beak.

Inevitable Betrayal. The vrock has advantage on the first attack it makes each turn against an allied creature.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The vrock makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Burning Beak.

Burning Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) piercing plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.

This attack scores a critical on an 18-20.

Gnarled Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be Blinded until the beginning of its next turn.

Felloil Rain (Recharge 5-6, 3rd level Spell). Each creature in a 5 foot radius column extending beneath the vrock is doused in a fine mist of glistening oil, and must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 28 (8d6) poison damage, or half as much on a success.

If an affected creature takes any fire damage in the next minute, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the end of each of its turns.

Wheel of Ruin (1/Day, 6th Level Spell, Concentration). The vrock conjures an abyssal storm that lasts for a minute and follows its movement as it flies.

On each of the vrock's turns, it may call down demonic lightning as a bonus action. The vrock and each creature encircled by the movement the vrock took this turn must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) lightning plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage, or half as much on a success.

Reactions

Fiendripper Mites. As a reaction to being hit with a melee attack, the vrock scatters a hail of venomous, biting parasites from its feathers, covering the attacker.

Until a creature takes an action to remove them, the creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw and the beginning of each of its turns or take 1d10 poison damage and be Poisoned until the start of its next turn.

Stunning Screech (1/Day). As a reaction to being reduced below 100 hit points, the vrock emits a horrific screech. Each other creature within 20 feet of it that can hear it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of the vrock's next turn.

Vrock Schemer Tactics

Vrock schemers attack with their Gnarled Talons unless they have advantage, trying to Blind a target and prevent attacks of opportunity when they take to the air once more after attacking. They preferentially target the most injured looking creatures, and will often target allies if they think they can get the killing blow.

They use their Fiendripper Mites whenever available, and their Stunning Screech typically only when reduced below 25 hit points, using it to make a window for them to escape without regard to any allies that may be affected by it.

Vrock Desecrator Tactics

Vrock desecrators behave much as schemers do, but prefer to keep to the air whenever possible, beginning combat with their Wheel of Ruin, then either using their Felloil Rain or the Dash action in conjunction with it each turn to affect as many foes as possible. They close to melee only when they think they can finish an enemy off that turn, preferentially targeting those doused in oil.

Rules Clarification: Encircling. A creature is encircled by the vrock's movement if the ground the vrock moved over that turn marks a contiguous path that intersects itself, creating an enclosed shape that contains the creature. The path of the vrock's movement counts as part of the shape it encloses.

Yochlol

There is an etiquette to drow betrayal, an arcane system of unspoken rules governing what status, security, and social capital must be wagered to enter into a given plot, who benefits from whose rising star or fall from grace. There must be, for no mortal could ever truly parse the utter complexity of this interlocking web of schemes well enough to function within it without such guidance. The Handmaidens of Lolth, however, are no mortals, and exist purely to sketch this web and pluck at its strings, to guide and prune its shape into one that pleases their dread queen.

Yochlol Lore

Nature DC 15: Somewhat unusually among shapeshifters, yochlols are able to freely change their size and arrangement of limbs when transforming, rapidly shifting in combat between arachnid, demonic, and drow forms to make use of the various benefits of each. Though rarely seen, it is said that when under duress they can additionally transform into a cloud of toxic gasses.
Religion DC 15: Known as "Handmaidens of Lolth", the yochlol are a species of shapeshifting, ooze-like demon created by Lolth to infiltrate drow societies, in particular to provide an additional layer of surveillance to monitor her network of mortal spies.

Yochlol Tactics

Unless directed to assassinate a particular creature,
yochlols usually use their abilities to create a
window for them to escape so that they may
re-engage on their own terms. If they must fight,
though, they typically begin by Charming the
most pressing melee threat, then using their
Compel to direct it to attack the most dangerous
ranged threat.

Once it is engaged, they Shift Form into their
spider form to either fight with their
multitattack or escape, shifting back to drow
form to Charm another creature whenever
their concentration drops if they think they
can maintain it for at least a round.

They take their demon form only if forced
to, or if directed by Lolth to express her
displeasure by turning a particular creature
into a Drider, in which case they try to engage
the target in relative seclusion, Charm it, and
use their Demonweb Metamorphosis on it each
turn until it is transformed or the yochlol is
forced to flee.

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Yochlol

Medium fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 221 (26d8 + 104)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	14 (+2)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)

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• Saving Throws DEX +6, INT +5, WIS +6, CHA +6
• Skills Deception +10, Insight +6
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 12
• Languages Abyssal, Elvish, Telepathy 120 ft., Undercommon
• Challenge 10 (5900 XP)

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

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

Actions

Multiattack (Spider Form Only). The yochlol makes two attacks with its Venomous Bite.

Venomous Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. (10 ft. in demon form), one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing in spider form damage plus 18 (5d6) poison damage.

Demonweb Metamorphosis (Demon Form Only). The yochlol breathes a foul miasma into the lungs of a charmed creature within 5 feet.

The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have its Constitution score reduced by 4 (1d8) for the next minute, to a minimum of 1. A creature whose Constitution is reduced to 1 in this way transforms into a Drider.

Charm (Drow Form Only, Concentration). One humanoid the yochlol can see within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be magically Dominated by it.

The Dominated creature repeats this saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success.

When this effect ends on a creature, the creature takes 44 (8d10) psychic damage and is immune to this yochlol's Charm for the next 24 hours.

Bonus Actions

Compel. One creature charmed by the yochlol must use its reaction to move up to its speed and make a melee attack.

Shift Form. The yochlol transforms into a Medium or Large form that resembles a female drow, a giant spider, or back into its true demonic form. Its statistics are otherwise the same in each form.

Reactions

Secret Mouth (Demon or Drow Form Only). When the yochlol is missed with a melee attack, it can make a Venomous Bite attack against the attacker.

Toxic Dissolution (1/Day). When the yochlol is reduced below 111 hit points, it can dissolve into a cloud of poisonous gas until the beginning of its next turn and move up to its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

A creature whose space it moves through in this way must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Draudnu

Draudnu Lore

Arcana DC 10: The obyriths known as draudnus instill a form of psychosomatic swelling in those who observe them, accompanied by the unshakeable belief that something is growing within one's body and must be cut out.
Nature DC 15: Draudnus have the unsettling ability to tear off and regrow their own heads, embedding the huge bone hooks extending from their arm-like mandibles in earth and stone to pin their victims. Worse still, the severed heads
seem to remain conscious and able to attack until
destroyed.
Religion DC 15: Draudus, sometimes called the
Children of Pale Night, are often found wandering the twisting depths of the Endless Maze of Baphomet,
lending credence to the theory that that is where the Mother of Demons' citadel of sculpted bone is embedded.

Draudnu Tactics

Draudnus scuttle into combat and attack with their flesh hooks, typically tearing free their heads at every opportunity and using their Mindfire Gaze each turn until the target dies or escapes.

While its head is detached, it uses its 50 feet of movement to stay out of range while using its Infested Birth each
turn, using its Regrow Head when a creature escapes
the shed one.

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Draudnu

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
• Speed 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	19 (+4)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Acid, Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

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Form of Madness. A non-obyrith creature that starts its turn within 60 feet of the draudnu and can see it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be Poisoned until it takes any piercing or slashing damage, as it feels something living swelling within it.

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

Actions

Flesh Hooks. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing plus 14 (4d6) acid damage.

On a hit, the draudnu may lose 10 hit points and detach its head, pinning the target to an adjacent surface and Restraining it (escape DC 15). While its head is detached, the draudnu is Blinded.

The head is an object and can be attacked (AC 15, 15 HP), and once detached the draudnu can't use this attack again until it regrows its head.

Infested Birth (3/Day). One of the draudnu's pustules bursts in a spray of acid, then releases 3 (1d4 + 1) Ekolid Nymphs that act on the draudnu's initiative.

Up to one creature within 5 feet of the draudnu must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) acid damage.

Bonus Actions

Mindfire Gaze. One creature Restrained by the draudnu's head must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage, or half as much on a success.

Regrow Head. If the draudnu has no head, it grows a new one, gaining 10 temporary hit points.

Ekolids

Ekolid Lore

Arcana DC 15: Ekolids are a form of lesser obyrith, a classification they find hilarious directed at them by creatures incapable of what they consider genuine conscious thought. Like all obyriths, ekolids can instill in an observer a form of madness, specifically a persistent itch that feels as though parasites are squirming within one's flesh.
Arcana DC 20: Ekolids seem to be able to magically coax their young to develop more quickly with their awful chittering. Such prematurely birthed ekolid nymphs are often ambivalent about the experience, emerging from their hosts in a gory spray and then immediately attempting to return to their erstwhile incubator.
Nature DC 10: The cluster of whipping stingers that extend from an ekolids thorax are actually sophisticated ovipositors, which they use to lay their young in live incubators, an intrusion considered unmannerly even among the infinite horrors of the Abyss.
Nature DC 15: Ekolids lack the ordinary demonic resistance to fire, limiting which layers they can comfortably nest upon.
Nature DC 20: Mature ekolids can produce hundreds of eggs an hour, and are limited only in how quickly they can deposit them in hosts. Once hatched, however, ekolids immediately cannibalize any of their siblings they can catch, a fact which blessedly keeps their numbers in check.
Religion DC 20: Ekolids cluster in the hive cities of Zionyn, the 633rd layer of the Abyss, building crazed towers out of the amber-glazed corpses of their expended incubators. When infesting the Prime Material, they build grisly facades over infested buildings in a similar manner, sculpting them into temples to the glory of the Prince of Vermin.

Ekolid Nymph Tactics

Ekolid nymphs choose targets indiscriminately with their Lacerating Ram but always try to move at least 20 feet before attacking. Once one uses its Cannibalize, particularly if no enemies are nearby, they all begin using it, particularly targeting those attempting to form cocoons.

If they emerge and see no other nymphs, the nymph typically follows the host it emerged from around until it can crawl back into the wound with its Wound Intrusion. If its original host is dead and no other nymphs are nearby, the nymph leaves in search of others of its kind to devour.

Ekolid Carnifex Tactics

Carnifexes often hunt in groups, attacking as many creatures as possible with their Stinging Flurry until each is infected with Ekolid Parasitism and then flying off, using their Exultant Chitter just before leaving range.

If one or more is killed, or if attacking at the behest of Ob-Oxob, as long as two or more foes are infected they use
their Exultant Chitter whenever available,
immediately attempting to reinfect any that fail
their save.

They typically use their Screeching Choir only
when a creature they can see that is affected by
their Form of Madness begins concentrating on a spell.

Ekolid Parasitism. A creature infected with ekolid parasitism must eat twice as much to avoid exhaustion, takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage whenever it completes a Long Rest, and must spend one additional hit die whenever it spends hit dice to heal or receive no benefit from that healing.

Whenever a creature spends an additional hit die in this way, it must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the disease ends, the creature takes 14 (4d6) piercing damage, and an Ekolid Nymph slices its way out of the creature, emerging in the creature's space.

As an action, a creature may deal 1d6 slashing damage to the infected creature to attempt a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check, extracting the Ekolid Nymph and ending the disease on a success. A creature that succeeds by 5 or more may kill the nymph as part of this process.

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Ekolid Nymph

Tiny fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 9 (2d4 + 2)
• Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
7 (-2)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	7 (-2)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)

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• Senses Passive Perception 11
• Challenge M3 (140 XP)

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Wound Intrusion A creature that starts its turn in the space of one or more ekolid nymphs must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw.

On a failed saving throw, the creature takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage and is infected with Ekolid Parasitism, and one ekolid nymph in its space is removed from play.

Minion. If the ekolid takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the ekolid takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage.

Actions

Lacerating Collision (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 piercing damage.

This attack is made with advantage if each creature that contributed to it moved at least 20 feet this turn.

Cannibalize. The ekolid kills and devours a Small or smaller creature with the Minion trait in its space.

Then, if the ekolid has killed two or more creatures this way in the last minute, it may form a cocoon around itself, increasing its AC to 18 until the beginning of its next turn.

At the beginning of its next turn, the ekolid emerges from its cocoon transformed as an Ekolid Carnifex with full hit points.

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Ekolid Carnifex

Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 77 (14d6 + 28)
• Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	16 (+3)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)

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• Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 14
• Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

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Form of Madness. A non-obyrith creature that starts its turn within 60 feet of the ekolid and can see it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or automatically fail Intelligence checks and saving throws to maintain Concentration, as it feels parasites squirming within its flesh.

A creature may repeat this saving throw as an Action, ending the effect and becoming immune to it for 24 hours on a success.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The ekolid makes five attacks with its Stinging Flurry.

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

Exultant Chitter (Recharge 5-6). Each creature within 30 feet that can hear the ekolid and is infected with Ekolid Parasitism takes 7 (2d6) piercing damage, then must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw.

On a failed save, the disease ends for the creature and it spawns an Ekolid Nymph in its space.

Bonus Actions

Implant Egg. One creature the ekolid hit with its Stinging Flurry this turn must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be infected with Ekolid Parasitism.

A target hit with three or more Stinging Flurry attacks this turn makes this saving throw with disadvantage.

Screeching Choir. The ekolid lets out a discordant wail. Each creature within 30 feet that can hear it and is Concentrating must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or lose Concentration.

Golothoma

Golothoma Lore

Arcana DC 15: The heavy, blunt tail of the golothoma drips with raw, concentrated shadow, distilled into a tar-like substance that eats away at denizens of the light. This shadow additionally pools on the ground beneath them, seeming to take on a life of its own as it moves and distorts independently of its progenitor.
Nature DC 10: Dubbed "Mouthless Hungerers", golothomas are demons driven by an insatiable and ravenous hunger despite having no means of consumption or digestion, instead nourished by proxy as they feed fresh corpses to their living shadows.
Religion DC 15: Common in the lightless tunnels of the Writhing Realm, golothomas are a hideous form of worm-like obyrith that opportunistically feed upon the Squirming King's refuse, along with whatever other unfortunates happen to wander into that dread realm.

Golothoma Tactics

Golothomas use their Flatten Reality whenever available, first using it to attack vulnerable backliners and then to teleport to a position where it can corner them on its following turn. They prioritize as a target any creature that can deal radiant damage or that is carrying a source of Bright Light. Hit or miss, they try to target a different creature each turn with their corrosive tar strike, if one is available.

Worm-Shadow Tactics

Outside of its turn, the worm-shadow darts around the golothoma so long as it is not illuminated by bright light, always staying out of melee range of any pursuers (particularly those capable of dealing radiant damage) and avoiding provoking attacks of opportunity as much as possible. Typically, if the shadow is not taking any radiant damage and has more than 50 hit points, it will take any damage directed at it, otherwise shunting any damage it can onto its golothoma.

It uses its Shadow Feeding any time it can catch two or           more foes in the area, otherwise attacking with its                   Shadow Barbs. If its golothoma's Flatten Reality is                             active, it first teleports to a point in the line                                   where it can affect the most foes, then                                           moves back to the golothoma's side                                               before the end of its turn. It uses                                                       its Corpse Consumption                                                       typically only if it can consume                                                              two or more corpses with                                                             it, or to consume its                                                                 golothoma if its                                                                 golothoma is killed.

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Golothoma

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 275 (22d12 + 132)
• Speed 30 ft., burrow 50 ft., swim 50 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	18 (+4)	22 (+6)	4 (-3)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)

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• Saving Throws STR +12, CON +11
• Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning
• Damage Immunities Poison
• Condition Immunities Poisoned
• Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 18
• Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)

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Form of Madness. A non-obyrith creature that starts its turn within 120 feet of the golothoma and can see it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or believe itself to be the shadow of a greater creature cast from a distant realm.

The affected creature is Frightened while in Bright Light or Darkness and can repeat this saving throw as an Action, ending the effect and becoming immune to it for 24 hours on a success.

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

Actions

Multiattack. The golothoma makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Corrosive Tar Strike.

Perforating Barbs. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) piercing damage.

Corrosive Tar Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and covered in acidic sludge.

Until a creature takes an action to remove it, the target's movement is reduced by half and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the beginning of each of its turns.

Bonus Actions

Flatten Reality (3rd Level Spell, Concentration, Recharge 5-6). A line of distorted space, 150 feet long and 5 feet wide, extends from the golothoma's eye.

Until the end of the golothoma's next turn, each creature in the area counts as being within 5 feet of each other creature in the area, and may teleport to any unoccupied space in the area as a Bonus Action.

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Worm-Shadow

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

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• Armor Class 20 (Natural Armor)
• Hit Points 95 (10d12 + 30)
• Speed 60 ft., climb 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
1 (-5)	25 (+7)	16 (+3)	7 (-2)	13 (+1)	19 (+4)

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• Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant
• Condition Immunities Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
• Senses Darkvision 120 ft. (penetrates magical darkness), Passive Perception 11
• Challenge 5 (included in Golothoma)

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Worm-Bonded. The worm-shadow is bonded to a golothoma, granting it the following traits:

• The worm-shadow is Attached to its golothoma and cannot move or be moved more than 5 feet away from it. If the worm-shadow starts its turn more than 5 feet away from the golothoma, it teleports to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the golothoma and takes 11 (2d10) force damage.
• While in Dim Light or Darkness, the worm-shadow may move any distance at any time with no action required.
• Whenever the worm-shadow would take any non-radiant damage, it may have the golothoma take that damage in its stead.

Ephemeral Presence. The worm-shadow can move through and occupy the space of other creatures.

Actions

Multiattack. The worm-shadow makes two attacks with its Shadow Barbs.

Shadow Barbs. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) necrotic damage.

Shadow Feeding. Thrashing umbral spines lash upward from the worm-shadow.

Each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) piercing damage, or half as much on a success.

Corpse Consumption. Each corpse in the worm-shadow's space slips into it and is devoured utterly. The worm-shadow and its golothoma (if still alive) each regain 10 hit points for each corpse consumed in this way.

If the worm-shadow devours its golothoma in this way, it regains all of its hit points and loses its Worm-Bonded trait.